Department for Transport

Aviation

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to update its 2013 aviation demand forecasts before publishing an updated version of the 2013 Aviation Policy Framework.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Government is planning to review the existing Aviation Policy Framework over the remainder of this year with a view to publishing a revised framework thereafter, having sought stakeholder views of what work is required and what a strategy should cover. This work is at an early stage, and no decisions have yet been taken on what additional analysis may be required to support that work or when a strategy will be published, though clearly updated forecasts are within the potential scope of this work.

Gatwick Airport: Railways

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average number of (a) seats available and (b) passengers is on train services running from Gatwick Airport to London Bridge during the 0700 to 1000 weekday peak period.

Claire Perry: While Govia Thameslink Railways provide us with information on capacities and passenger numbers arriving at London Bridge, it is not possible to provide numbers of passengers who boarded at Gatwick Airport railway station.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his consultation on drones expected to be published before summer will include options on the classification of drones generally; and whether he has assessed existing weight categories as appropriate.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Department for Transport (DfT) is currently working with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to develop consistent, EU-wide safety rules for drones. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is developing new rules for all drones that are proportionate to the risk of their specific operation rather than based on weight categories. The Government will seek to ensure that UK regulation is consistent with this approach. EASA has conducted a consultation and impact assessment on the approach and therefore we do not currently intend to consult further on these measures.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Easington

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential economic benefit of High Speed 2 to Easington constituency.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The North East and County Durham will benefit from direct HS2 services to the West Midlands and the South East when Phase Two is opened in 2033. Economic analysis was published in business case for Phase Two in October 2013, and updated at time of command paper last autumn. A route decision will be made on rest of route, including to the North East this autumn, at which point an updated economic case will be published.

Gatwick Airport: Railways

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effects of expansion of Gatwick Airport on seat capacity on northbound trains into London terminals in (a) 2030 and (b) 2040 during weekday morning peak periods.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Airports Commission analysed the likely surface access impacts of a second runway at Gatwick Airport in 2030. Its analysis concluded that the second runway does increase forecast crowding on the Brighton Main Line but not to significant levels. At the time its work was carried out, the Airports Commission felt it was not plausible to carry out detailed surface access analysis for 2040 and beyond because of the difficulty in making assumptions about the likely state of the transport network and background growth at that time.

London-Brighton Railway Line

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of improvements to the Brighton Mainline in Control Period 5 on seat capacity on northbound trains at (a) Horley, (b) Redhill and (c) East Croydon rail stations during weekday morning peak periods.

Claire Perry: The Department has not carried out a specific assessment of the effect of improvements to the Brighton Mainline (BML) in Control Period 5 (2014-19) on seating capacity from the three aforementioned stations. We are investing significantly in capacity improvements on the BML which will start to be delivered this year and fully delivered for the 2018 timetable change. Govia Thameslink Railway intend to carry out a public consultation on their proposed 2018 timetable changes later this year.

Gatwick Airport: Noise

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what forecast he has made of the number of households within the 55 day-evening-night equivalent level noise contour of aircraft arriving and taking off at Gatwick Airport in the event that a second runway at that airport was to become operational.

Mr Robert Goodwill: On 14 December 2015, the Government formally announced that it accepted the Airports Commission’s case for new runway capacity in the South East, as well as the Commission’s three shortlisted schemes. The Airports Commission undertook a thorough assessment of the noise impacts of each of the three shortlisted schemes, across a wide range of metrics, including the 55 day-evening-night sound level. The Government continues to consider the comprehensive evidence published by the Airports Commission, including on the noise impacts of the three schemes.

Gatwick Airport: Night Flying

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) night period and (b) night quota period aircraft movements there were at Gatwick Airport for each International Air Transport Association season between winter (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2015-16.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Government only sets restrictions on the number of flights between the hours of 2330 – 0600 - in the period known as night quota period and therefore we only have movement figures for this and not the wider night period hours of 2300 – 0700. It should be noted that some flights take place during the night quota period but do not count towards the movement limits under the night flight restrictions. These include movements due to certain types of delays, to those issued dispensations by the Government, or to those by aircraft below a certain noise volume. Two figures are given below for each aircraft season. The first refers to those that count towards the night movement limits at Gatwick Airport, and the second is the total number of movements that did not count towards these limits. This information is also available on the Gatwick Airport website: http://www.gatwickairport.com/ PeriodNumber of movementsTotal numberWinter 2007/08292962Summer 20081061890Winter 2008/09214562Summer 2009909976Winter 2009/102199103Summer 20109875120Winter 2010/11216091Summer 2011985985Winter 2011/12141162Summer 2012983792Winter 2012/13160353Summer 2013999896Winter 2013/14151083Summer 201411147138Winter 2014/151756135Summer 201511149401Winter 2015/161872169

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of regulations relating to drones and public safety.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Government’s primary responsibility is the safety and security of our citizens. That is why we apply one of the highest regulatory safety standards for commercial aviation in the world. There are existing regulations in place that require users of drones to maintain direct, unaided visual contact with their vehicle and to not recklessly or negligently cause or permit an aircraft to endanger any person or property. Guidance on tackling the risks of criminal drone use has been provided to constabularies across the UK. The Department and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) work with a wide range of industry partners across the aviation sector, (including manufacturers, airports, and airlines), to ensure our understanding of potential hazards to aircraft remains up-to-date and mitigations effective. Further work is underway to better understand the risk posed by flying drones close to commercial planes to ensure that regulations remain fit for purpose. The Cross Government Working Group on RPAS has undertaken analysis of the use of drones for criminal purposes, including the potential use of drones for terrorist purposes, and the impacts of their negligent use near sensitive locations, such as airports. This work is kept under review and is being used to inform research and testing to improve mitigation techniques and strategies. Awareness and education on current restrictions are vitally important. The Civil Aviation Authority is undertaking activities to raise awareness of the basic safety requirements, including an ongoing ‘Dronecode’ safety awareness campaign, issuing safety leaflets at the point of sale, publishing an animated video on their website, and running ‘small UAS’ Risk and Hazard workshops with industry as part of the Mid Air Collision Programme.

Home Office

Immigration Controls: EU Nationals

Mrs Anne-Marie Trevelyan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will undertake a review to establish the reasons for the Government underestimating the numbers of migrants from A2 countries when transitional controls on migration from those countries were relaxed and abolished on 1 January 2014; and if she will make a statement.

Mrs Anne-Marie Trevelyan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what modelling she has conducted to assess the likelihood of the emergency brake mechanism to control immigration from the rest of the EU into the UK being utilised in the next five years.

James Brokenshire: The European Commission has clearly said that the UK already meets the criteria for the implementation of the ‘emergency brake’ and the text of the agreement makes clear that, once the necessary legislation is in place, EU workers newly arriving in the UK will not have full access to our in-work benefits for up to four years.The Home Office accepted the view of the independent Migration Advisory Committee that to produce such estimates "would not be sensible, or helpful to policymakers" and did not prepare specific forecasts of likely inflows from Romania and Bulgaria once restrictions expired on 1 January 2014. There are no plans to undertake a review of this decision.

Refugees: Children

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reunite refugee minors with their families in the UK.

James Brokenshire: We have worked with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), NGOs, local authorities and the devolved administrations to provide a resettlement route to the UK, specifically designed for children at risk from the Middle East and North Africa region. On the UNHCR’s recommendation the scheme will target all children at risk as defined by the UNHCR. This includes unaccompanied children and separated children (those separated from their parents and/or other family members) as well as other vulnerable children such as child carers and those at risk of child labour, child marriage or other forms of neglect, abuse or exploitation.We will commit to resettling several hundred individuals in the first year with a view to resettling up to 3000 individuals over the lifetime of this Parliament, the majority of whom will be children. Further details can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement available at:http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2016-04-21/HCWS687Further, our refugee family reunion policy allows immediate family members of a person in the UK with refugee leave or humanitarian protection status – that is a spouse or partner and children under the age of 18, who formed part of the family unit before the sponsor fled their country of origin – to reunite with them in the UK.Where a family reunion application fails under the Immigration Rules, the Entry Clearance Officer must also consider whether there are exceptional circumstances or compassionate reasons to justify granting a visa outside the Rules. This caters for family members in exceptional circumstances and would include minors applying to join a member of their extended family who has refugee status or humanitarian protection.A British citizen or individual with indefinite leave to remain can also sponsor a child to come to the UK under the Immigration Rules if they are that child’s parent, irrespective of whether the child is a refugee.There is also provision for a child to seek leave to enter to join a relative who has refugee leave or is a beneficiary of humanitarian protection where the relative is not the parent of the child, and the child is under the age of eighteen. Other requirements apply such as the need to be able to care for the child without recourse to public funds. Exceptional circumstance will also be considered in these cases.

Asylum: Appeals

Stuart C. McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many further submissions under rule 353 of the Immigration Rules were made in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

James Brokenshire: Our records indicate that 22,149 1 further submissions under rule 353 of the Immigration Rules were made from 2013 to 2015. The breakdown of applications received is 8,088 during 2013, 7,206 in 2014 and 6,855 for 2015.1 Relates to 18,143 people - due to a number of individuals making multiple further submissions.Notes:• The data only includes further submissions that are linked to an Asylum claim.• The data includes main applicants only and does not include dependants.• The data covers further submissions applications made between 01/01/2013 and 31/12/2015 (in line with data publications under the transparency agenda).The data provided is provisional management information that is subject to change. It has not been assured to the standard of Official Statistics.

Immigration

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases are (a) awaiting a decision and (b) dormant at the Complex Casework Directorate in Liverpool.

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many new cases have opened after the establishment of the Complex Casework Directorate; and how many such cases were resolved by way of granting a leave.

James Brokenshire: Complex Casework Directorate was set up to be responsible for the remaining un-concluded asylum cases where the initial asylum application was lodged before March 2007. The work to review and communicate decisions to the cohort of older asylum cases was completed by the end of December 2014, other than for a small number of cases that were on hold, although work continues to progress the removal of applicants who received a negative decision from the Home Office and who otherwise have no lawful basis to remain in the United Kingdom.As of 31 December 2015 there were 524 older asylum records requiring review, and a further 742 were on hold. These cases were on hold for legitimate process reasons. There are no dormant records.The older asylum records relate to asylum applications made prior to 5 March 2007, and there are therefore no new cases, although cases that are reopened following contact with an individual whose record was previously closed are added to the cohort of older live asylum records. It is not possible to say how many reopened cases were subsequently granted leave without incurring disproportionate cost.Information relating to older asylum records is published as part of the Asylum Transparency Data. This data includes the work in progress, on take of people who enter the cohort and the number of individuals granted leave.

Immigrants: Detainees

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Written Statement of 18 April 2016, on immigration detention, HCWS679, how many pregnant women (a) are detained and (b) have been detained for immigration purposes at the border in each of the last five years.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Written Statement of 18 April 2016, on immigration detention, HCWS679, how many pregnant women (a) are detained and (b) have been detained for immigration purposes in each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire: Holding answer received on 25 April 2016



Management information for 19 April showed that two pregnant women were held at the border and there was one pregnant woman held in an IRC. Information on those held at the border and in IRCs in each of the last five years is not held centrally and providing it would incur disproportionate cost.

Forced Marriage

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many interventions by the Forced Marriages Unit led to criminal prosecutions of people perpetrating forced marriages.

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of victims rescued by the Forced Marriages Unit in each year since 2005 have been under 18 years old.

Karen Bradley: The jointly led Home Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) leads on the Government’s forced marriage policy, outreach and casework. Figures on the number of cases reported to the FMU via its public helpline and email inbox are published annually and are available on GOV.uk. The figures include a breakdown of cases by age range. The FMU acts in an advisory capacity, and information on the number of cases which resulted in prosecutions is therefore not collated centrally.We made forced marriage a criminal offence in 2014 to send a clear message that this brutal practice will not be tolerated in the UK. We are encouraged by the first conviction in June 2015, and the Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) most recent report shows that the volume of referrals from the police to the CPS has risen from 67 in 2013-14 to 82 in 2014-15. But there is still work to be done, and we will continue to work with partners to lead efforts to tackle this abhorrent crime.

Police: Deployment

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to deploy British police officers to popular holiday resorts abroad as a result of the outcome of the pilot scheme in summer 2015.

Mike Penning: Holding answer received on 25 April 2016



The deployment of police resources is an operational matter for Chief Constables. However, any deployments overseas to provide advice or assistance to a foreign government must be approved by the Home Secretary under the provisions of Section 26 of the Police Act (1996). No decision has been made regarding any future deployments following last year’s pilot.

Vetting

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the current average waiting time is for the completion of pre-employment checks by the Disclosure and Barring Service; and if she will make a statement.

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce the time taken for the completion of pre-employment checks by the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking with the Metropolitan Police Service to reduce the time taken to complete pre-employment checks by the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the current average waiting time is for the completion of pre-employment checks by the Disclosure and Barring Service involving (a) Cleveland Police and (b) the Metropolitan Police Service.

Karen Bradley: Performance data for the Disclosure and Barring Service for March 2016 indicates that average processing time for DBS applications was 14.8 days. Certificates dispatched to applicants by the DBS in March 2016 involving (a) Cleveland Police and (b) the Metropolitan Police Service took an average of (a) 24 days and (b) 122 days.Protecting the public is a priority for this Government and it is important that checks undertaken are thorough; a proportion of the applications received by the DBS must be referred to one or more police forces as part of the enhanced disclosure process. In the vast majority of cases these checks are completed within target. The DBS is working closely with the small number of forces, including the MPS, whose performance does not meet turnaround time targets. The performance of police disclosure units is an operational issue for individual police forces and the MPS has established a Gold Group to oversee the recovery plan which they have in place to reduce the time taken. I have made clear to the MPS that its current delays must be addressed as a matter of priority and I continue to maintain close oversight of the progress being made.

Immigrants: Detainees

Paula Sherriff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Written Statement of 18 April 2016, on immigration detention, HCWS679, in what ways the policy to end the routine detention of pregnant women differs from the current policy that pregnant women should be detained only in exceptional circumstances.

James Brokenshire: Holding answer received on 25 April 2016



Current policy is set out in paragraph 10 of Chapter 55 of the Home Office Enforcement Instructions and Guidance, which states that certain groups of individuals, including pregnant women, are normally considered suitable for detention in only very exceptional circumstances.The Government announced in a Written Ministerial Statement on 14 January that it was introducing a new “adult at risk” concept into decision making on immigration detention, with a clear presumption that people who are at risk should not be detained, building on the existing legal framework. The Government has made a commitment to publish its “adult at risk” policy in May.The new process announced in the Written Ministerial Statement on 18 April, will, if agreed by Parliament, provide an additional safeguard. It will provide absolute clarity that no woman who is known to be pregnant can be detained for longer than 72 hours, or, with Ministerial authorisation a maximum of a week. This puts in place the same safeguards as introduced in 2014 when the government put in place its policy to end the routine detention of children for immigration purposes.

Immigrants: Detainees

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Written Statement of 18 April 2016, on immigration detention, HCWS679, whether notice will be given to pregnant women who will be detained.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Written Statement of 18 April 2016, HCWS679, on immigration detention, who will be eligible under these proposals to authorise the detention of a pregnant woman for the first 72 hours.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Written Statement of 18 April 2016, on immigration detention, HCWS679, whether there will be independent oversight of decisions to detain pregnant women.

James Brokenshire: Holding answer received on 25 April 2016



At present, detention is authorised by an officer of at least the rank of Chief Immigration Officer (CIO) or Higher Executive Officer (HEO). As stated in the Government’s Written Ministerial Statement of 14 January, the Government is developing a new approach to the case management of those detained. This is intended to replace the existing detention review process with a clear removal plan for all those in detention.It will ensure that all detainees, including pregnant women, spend the minimum possible time in detention. Under the new policy in order for detention to be extended beyond 72 hours ministerial authorisation will be required and the maximum detention period will be one week.Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons and Independent Monitoring Boards already provide independent oversight of detention facilities and conditions of detention. Individuals, including pregnant women, are given prior notification of their liability to removal from the UK by the Home Office and they would be detained only for the purposes of identification or removal.

Marriage: Children

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 14 April 2016 to Question 33257, what the Government's policy is on (a) granting residency to and (b) possible prosecution of people who arrive in the UK as either refugees or asylum seekers who are married to a child under 16 when such marriages were undertaken legally outside the UK and were not performed under duress.

James Brokenshire: Holding answer received on 25 April 2016



People of any age who are able to establish a protection need will normally be granted asylum or humanitarian protection in the UK irrespective of whether they are married to a child under 16 where the marriage was undertaken legally outside the UK and not under duress.A person under 18 who seeks asylum as the spouse or civil partner of another asylum seeker will not be allowed to do so and must apply for asylum in their own right as a minor. Any minor seeking asylum or refugee granted leave on this basis who is known to be in a relationship akin to marriage will be referred to the local authority social services at the earliest opportunity, irrespective of the legality of the marriage or whether the marriage is believed to have taken place under duress.

Students: Victim Support Schemes

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to improve support resources available to students who have been victims of sexual assault.

Karen Bradley: The Government is providing £80 million of dedicated central government funding over the course of this Parliament to tackle violence, including sexual assault, against women and girls. This includes central funding for rape support centres and £1.7 million per year up to 2017 to part-fund 87 Independent Sexual Violence Advisers who provide appropriate and independent support for victims. These services support all victims of sexual assault including students.At the request of the Secretary of State for Business, Universities UK set up a taskforce in September 2015 to bring together relevant stakeholders to explore what more can be done by the higher education sector to prevent, and respond effectively, to incidents of violence and sexual harassment against women, hate crimes and other forms of harassment. The taskforce is considering a range of potential measures, and its work includes an analysis of the nature and scale of the problem. The taskforce is expected to report in the Autumn.

Stalking

Alex Chalk: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to raise awareness of the seriousness of stalking (a) through social media and (b) otherwise.

Karen Bradley: Stalking is a deeply disturbing crime which can leave its victims living in fear for years. That is why we introduced new legislation in 2012 which made stalking an offence in its own right.To mark National Stalking Awareness Week, we are using Twitter to raise awareness of the increases in prosecutions and convictions for these crimes to help improve victim confidence in the criminal justice system.The Government has committed £80 million to support victims of violence against women and girls, including, stalking, between 2016 and 2020. This includes funding for the National Stalking Helpline run by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust. Additionally, we have consulted on the introduction of a new civil Stalking Protection Order to tackle perpetrators at an early stage to help prevent victims becoming targets of a prolonged campaign of abuse. Our response to this consultation will be published in due course. Through the Police Innovation Fund, we are supporting the police to identify ways to manage the significant volume of online material in abuse, harassment and stalking cases, so that evidence can be collected more easily and a strong case built to bring a prosecution.

Police: Suicide

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the level of suicide among police officers in each of the last five years.

Mike Penning: The Home Office does not hold data centrally on the number of police officers who have committed suicide.Policing, by its nature, can be a stressful and demanding job and it is the responsibility of chief officers working with directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners and supported by the College of Policing - to ensure that good management systems are in place to ensure the welfare of all officers and staff.The Government recognises the importance of police welfare – in October 2014 we allocated £10 million to help support emergency services personnel and volunteers, focused on mental health, physical recuperation and bereavement support for those who need it.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Kashmir: Politics and Government

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with other Commonwealth countries on recent unrest in the Handwara and Kupwara districts of Kashmir.

Mr Hugo Swire: The British High Commission in Delhi is closely following the situation in Kashmir. I was saddened to learn of the deaths of 5 civilians last week and I extend my condolences to their families. I am aware that the State Government and the Army are both looking into these incidents. I have not recently discussed Kashmir with other Commonwealth countries.

Kashmir: Politics and Government

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Indian government on the need to de-escalate tensions between the Indian army and protestors in Northern Kashmir.

Mr Hugo Swire: I was saddened to learn of the deaths of 5 civilians last week in Northern Kashmir, and I extend my condolences to their families. I have not discussed this issue with the Indian Government or with other Commonwealth Countries, but I am aware that the State Government and the Army are both looking into these incidents.

Kashmir: Politics and Government

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Kashmir.

Mr Hugo Swire: The British High Commission in Delhi is closely following the situation in Kashmir. I welcome the recent formation of a new State Government.

Foreign Affairs Select Committee

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many times he has attended public meetings of the Foreign Affairs Committee since his appointment.

Mr David Lidington: Ministerial attendance at parliamentary committees is a matter of public record. The transcripts of appearances by the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) are available on the Foreign Affairs Committee website.http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/foreign-affairs-committee/formal-minutes/

Russia: Foreign Relations

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to counter Russian disinformation against western countries and NATO.

Mr David Lidington: The UK is working with allies to support initiatives that promote a plural and balanced Russian-language media environment; enhance the strategic communications capabilities of NATO and the EU; and build resilience in the region to the impact of information warfare, including in Ukraine and Georgia.We are also investing in soft power by supporting the work of the British Council and the BBC. The BBC’s global reputation and editorial independence is crucial. In keeping with its long-standing aim to “provide independent, impartial and accurate news across the world”, it is developing plans to enhance its BBC Russian digital service, for example by providing extended news bulletins to partner stations.

Nagorno Karabakh

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Mr David Lidington: The UK is deeply concerned about the recent upsurge in fighting on the Nagorno-Karabakh line of contact. I issued a statement on 2 April calling for the sides to halt the fighting and to exercise restraint. While the UK has no direct role in negotiations, we strongly support the work of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group Co-Chairs. On 18 April, I raised Nagorno-Karabakh at the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg and expressed my desire to see the Co-Chairs inject new energy into the process. We will continue to urge the sides to work with the Minsk Group Co-Chairs to reach a negotiated peace settlement.

Nagorno Karabakh

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the government of the Russian Federation on tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Mr David Lidington: On 11 April, the National Security Adviser (NSA) discussed the recent upsurge in fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh with senior Russian officials in Moscow. The NSA expressed concern about the recent violence and support for the OSCE Minsk Group’s efforts to reach a negotiated peace settlement. The British Embassy in Moscow will follow up these discussions with Russian counterparts at working level.

Russia: Foreign Relations

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with (a) the Russian business community and (b) other Russian citizens living in the UK on Russian attitudes towards the West.

Mr David Lidington: During my visit to Moscow in December 2015, I discussed Russian attitudes towards the West with a group of Russian political commentators. I also meet periodically with the Russian Ambassador to the UK to seek the views of the Russian Government.Officials at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and UK Trade and Investment meet Russian individuals and businesses on a regular basis, principally through the Russo-British Chamber of Commerce (RBCC) which celebrates its centenary year in 2016. The UK Government also continues to support the development of cultural and people-to-people links which can help build trust between our two countries, such as through the 2016 UK-Russia Year of Language and Literature.

Saudi Arabia: Visits Abroad

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to Ministers: quarterly return October to December 2015, published on 24 March 2016, whom he met during the visit to Saudi Arabia that began on 27 October 2015; and what the agenda was at those meetings.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: During his visit to Saudi Arabia on 27 October 2015 the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) met His Majesty King Salman, Crown Prince and Minister of the Interior His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Naif, Deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defence His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Commander of the National Guard His Royal Highness Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, and Foreign Minister His Excellency Adel Al Jubeir. The agenda of these meetings covered regional issues, human rights, security cooperation and migration.

Kuwait: Visits Abroad

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to Ministers: quarterly return October to December 2015, published on 24 March 2016, whom he met during the visit to Kuwait that began on 26 November 2015; and what the agenda was at those meetings.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: I travelled to Kuwait on 26 November 2015 to co-chair the seventh UK-Kuwait Joint Steering Group meeting with my Kuwaiti counterpart, Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Al Jarallah. This six-monthly discussion covers a range of bilateral issues, including migration, healthcare, defence, security, education, energy and trade. In addition to the Steering Group, I also had bilateral meetings with the Deputy Foreign Minister and the Minister for Cabinet Affairs, which focussed on Gulf Strategy, Typhoon, COP21 and regional and humanitarian issues.

Indonesia: Religious Freedom

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the President of Indonesia on the protection of religious minorities in that country.

Mr Hugo Swire: We take freedom of religion or belief seriously. Our Ambassador in Jakarta has raised these issues with the Minister of Religious Affairs, Indonesian civil society, and religious leaders. He urged them to ensure the rights of all individuals to practise their religion or belief freely were fully respected and protected.

Israel: Palestinians

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the government of Israel on the planned demolition of the Bedouin villages of Susiya and Um Al Hiran.

Mr Philip Hammond: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Iran: Prisoners

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the government of Iran on the imprisonment of Kamal Foroughi and Roya Nobakht.

Mr Philip Hammond: We regularly raise our dual national consular cases with the Iranian authorities at the highest possible levels. Most recently senior FCO officials raised these cases with the Iranian Chargé d’ Affaires in London on 13 April. I also raised these cases directly with the Chief of Staff to the Iranian President on 10 March and with Foreign Minister Zarif on 5 Feb during their trips to London.

Attorney General

Hate Crime: Disability

Jim Shannon: To ask the Attorney General, what progress his Department has made on providing disability hate crime training for all prosecutors; and what improvements this training will bring to conviction rates.

Jeremy Wright: Mandatory training relating to disability hate crime was delivered, across the Crown Prosecution Service, between September 2015 and January 2016.Prosecutors will deploy the knowledge gained from the training in the course of prosecutions thereby improving performance.The CPS are enhancing the support provided to prosecutors in dealing with crimes committed against disabled people. They are reviewing their policy and legal guidance on disability hate crime, which will provide assurance to the public of how the CPS intends to deal with such crimes.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: China

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, on what occasions officials of his Department have received hospitality from the government of China in the last three years.

Anna Soubry: BIS officials have engaged with counterparts in China over the past three years to support the growing UK-China relationship and advance UK interests. During the course of those engagements they received at different times the standard hospitality associated with Government to Government exchanges. In 2010, Cabinet Office issued guidance on Civil Servant receiving gifts and hospitality, which can be found on the GOV.UK website. The guidance states that civil servants are not required to record hospitality from other civil servants in government, the Devolved Administrations, the Palace, non-departmental public bodies or overseas government.

Small Businesses

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the reasons are for the reduction in the proportion of his Department's budget spent with small and medium-sized enterprises between 2013 and 2015.

Anna Soubry: It is an established convention that Ministers of one Administration cannot see the documents of a previous Administration. I am therefore unable to provide the information requested by the hon Member. However, the Department continues to improve its data collection so that the full extent of indirect spending with SMEs is captured, working closely with the Crown Commercial Service and prime contractors. The Department actively explores the possibility of contracting directly with SMEs throughout its procurement processes whilst adhering to the relevant public procurement regulations.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Buildings

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 20 April 2016 to Question 33961, what estimate he has made of cashable savings from reduced overnight accommodation after closure of his Department's office at St Paul's Place, Sheffield.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 20 April 2016 to Question 33961, what estimate he has made of cashable savings from reduced rents after closure of his Department's office at St Paul's Place, Sheffield.

Joseph Johnson: The Permanent Secretary has recently written to the Chairs of the Public Accounts Committee and the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee. His letter contains details of the potential maximum savings from a closure of the Department’s Sheffield office at St Paul’s Place, and can be seen at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/518244/letter-martin-donnelly-sheffield-office.pdf.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Staff

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many civil servants were employed at each location at (a) Business, Innovation and Skills Core, (b) the Office for Fair Access, (c) the Higher Education Funding Council for England, (d) the Financial Reporting Council, (e) the Green Investment Bank, (f) the UK Commission on Employment and Skills and (g) the British Business Bank in the last year for which figures are available.

Joseph Johnson: The number of civil servants that were employed by the (a) Department Business, Innovation and Skills at each location as at 31 December 2015 are shown on the attached table. There are no civil servants employed by (b) the Office for Fair Access, (c) the Higher Education Funding Council for England, (d) the Financial Reporting Council, (e) the Green Investment Bank, (f) the UK Commission on Employment and Skills or (g) the British Business Bank. All people employed by those organisations are public servants. The number of those and their locations is also shown on the attached table. 



Attachment to 35017
(Excel SpreadSheet, 12.6 KB)

Minimum Wage

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to his oral contribution of 18 April 2016, Official Report, column 712, on the national minimum wage, how many of the employers who approached his Department and requested not to be named and shamed for breaking national minimum legislation were named and shamed.

Nick Boles: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Minimum Wage

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to his oral contribution of 18 April 2016, Official Report, column 712, on the national minimum wage, what correspondence his Department has received from employers asking not to be named and shamed for breach of the legislation in each year since that approach was implemented.

Nick Boles: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Women's Business Council

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he has taken to support the work of the Women's Business Council; and whether he has incorporated any research recommendations from the Women's Business Council into government policy and legislative proposals.

Anna Soubry: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Adult Education

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to increase take-up of government-funded adult learning courses; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Boles: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Adult Education

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many adult learners participated in government-funded (a) mathematics and (b) English courses in each of the last three years.

Nick Boles: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Adult Education

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many adult learners participated in government-funded further education courses in each of the last three years.

Nick Boles: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Adult Education

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much his Department spent on adult education courses in each of the last three years.

Nick Boles: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Members: Correspondence

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has received a reply to his letter of 4 April 2016 to the European Commission Vice President for the Digital Single Market on online platforms.

Mr Edward Vaizey: A reply to our letter was not expected. Instead the letter on online platforms was designed to influence the Commission’s thinking ahead of the release of the package before the summer. Ministerial colleagues have engaged closely with EU Commissioners as well as a number of Member States about online platforms policy and will continue to do so.

Department for International Development

Companies: Contracts

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if her Department will support a change to legislation to require UK registered companies to publish a full list of their suppliers internationally, to enhance transparency and accountability and to ensure adherence to international labour standards in company supply chains.

Mr Desmond Swayne: We are aware of similar legislation being proposed in other countries. At present we promote voluntary reporting on supply chain activity, and are trying to increase the tools available to companies to trace their supply chains. We will monitor the effectiveness of similar legislation as it progresses.

International Development Select Committee

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many times she has attended public meetings of the International Development Committee since her appointment.

Mr Desmond Swayne: Ministerial attendance at public meetings of the International Development Committee is a matter of public record. Details can be found online at http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/international-development-committee/formal-minutes/

Department for Education

Children in Care: Mental Health

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve the quality of data that it holds about the mental health of looked-after children.

Edward Timpson: The Department collects Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) scores for children looked-after for at least 12 months. In March 2015, The Department for Education and Department of Health strengthened the statutory guidance 'Promoting the health and wellbeing of looked after children'[1] to include information on how Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires should be used. The Department wrote to local authorities in 2014 and 2015 to remind them about the purpose and importance of SDQs. Ahead of this year’s data collection (published in September 2016), the Department will also write to Virtual School Heads and Independent Reviewing Officers about the use of SDQs for looked-after children. In addition we are considering how to utilise best practice from local authorities that have had consistently good return rates for SDQ scores in their annual children looked-after data returns.[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-the-health-and-wellbeing-of-looked-after-children--2

Beacon Multi-Academy Trust

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations her Department has received on the financial management of (a) Beacon Multi-Academy Trust and (b) schools under the management of that trust.

Edward Timpson: Holding answer received on 21 April 2016



The Education Funding Agency (EFA) has received routine finance-related correspondence from Beacon Multi-Academy Trust. The EFA has received no external representations raising financial issues.

Terminal Illnesses

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to bring forward legislative proposals to make terminal illness a protected characteristic in order to ensure that employees cannot be dismissed for being terminally ill.

Caroline Dinenage: The Equality Act 2010 already protects employees from direct disability discrimination where they are diagnosed with cancer, HIV and multiple sclerosis, any of which may be terminal illnesses. Where a diagnosis of serious illness is not (or not initially) terminal, protection from discrimination would still be available where an employee’s condition fits the definition of a disability, which in the 2010 Act is defined as a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.Where a disabled employee is dismissed because they have a terminal illness, they can seek redress under the 2010 Act. Also, should an employer effectively force such an employee to resign from their job, the constructive dismissal provisions in employment law may be applicable.

School Meals

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to assess the potential benefits of applying school food standards to all schools as part of the Government's childhood obesity strategy.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Tackling obesity, particularly in children, is one of our major priorities. We will be launching our cross-government Childhood Obesity Strategy in the summer. It will look at everything that contributes to a child becoming overweight and obese. It will also set out what more can be done by all.The School Food Standards apply to all local authority maintained schools and to academies that opened prior to 2010 and from June 2014 onwards.1,420 academies have voluntarily registered to follow the standards, including some of the largest Multi-Academy Trusts. Many academy caterers also hold the Food for Life Catering Mark, which also guarantees compliance with the School Food Standards.

Special Educational Needs: Finance

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons the Government decided to reduce the allocation of top-up funding for provision for children with special needs.

Mr Sam Gyimah: We have not reduced the allocation of top-up funding for children with special educational needs (SEN). We announced in December that we would provide an additional £92.5 million nationally for high needs in 2016-17. Bristol City Council’s share of this additional funding is £750,000.It is for local authorities to determine how best to use their high needs allocation, after consultation with local providers.

Mental Health Services: Children

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the level of need for therapeutic support for children following abuse or neglect referred to in her Department's report, entitled Adoption: A vision for change, published in March 2016.

Edward Timpson: Over 5,200 families received support from the Adoption Support Fund during 2015-16. We estimate that around 6,000 families will be supported in 2016-17 rising to around 8,000 in 2017-18.

Children: Disadvantaged

William Wragg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of children in households whose income is below the threshold for receiving free school meals; and how many such children have at least one parent who is a national from another EEA member state.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Academies: North of England

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department plans to take under the Northern Powerhouse schools strategy to expand the best academy chains in the North; what the timetable is for that expansion; and how much funding will be allocated for that expansion.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

New Schools Network: North of England

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding has been allocated for the establishment of a Northern branch of the New Schools Network; what the timetable for the establishment of that branch of Network is; and what plans he has for where that branch of the Network will be located.

Edward Timpson: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Schools: North of England

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how her Department intends to support and mentor weaker schools as part of the Northern Powerhouse schools strategy.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Academies: North of England

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department plans to take to facilitate new academy sponsors in the North as part of the Northern Powerhouse Schools Strategy.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for Education: Members

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many requests to meet with hon. Members she has received from each of the political parties represented in the House since her appointment.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for Education: Members

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many hon. Members of each party she has met as a result of a request for such a meeting since her appointment.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Schools: North of England

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding she plans to make available for turnaround activity as part of the Northern Powerhouse Schools Strategy; and what formula or method she plans to use to allocate funding.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Schools: Standards

Kelly Tolhurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department plans to take to improve the performance of schools in parts of the country where there has been persistent underperformance.

Nick Gibb: Our reforms are delivering much needed improvement to our education system. Ofsted inspection data shows that sponsored academies are transforming the life chances ‎of over 350,000 pupils by raising standards in their schools. But there are too many areas of the country where, for too long, children have not had the Education they deserve. Our strategy for Achieving Excellence Areas will tackle entrenched underperformance in areas where low school standards have been allowed for too long. We look forward to working with the first areas from this autumn.

Teachers: Bureaucracy

Caroline Ansell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to assist teachers in managing their workload.

Nick Gibb: We are continuing our extensive work with the profession to remove unnecessary workload so that teachers can concentrate on teaching and not bureaucracy and paperwork. This includes establishing three review groups to tackle the top issues raised by teachers in the Government’s Workload Challenge in 2014: marking, lesson planning, and data management. The reports from these review groups were published on 26 March 2016. We have accepted all their recommendations for Government. As the reports make clear, it is for everybody involved in education to act on the principles and recommendations in these reports so teachers can focus on what really matters – inspiring their pupils to achieve their full potential. We will continue to work with the teaching profession to make sure they have the ongoing support they need. We have recently conducted the first biennial Teacher Workload Survey, a commitment which will allow us to track teacher workload over the coming years. The results of the first survey will be published later this year.

Ministry of Justice

New Hall Prison: Drugs

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners from HMP New Hall attended accident and emergency departments as a consequence of the use of psychoactive substances in each of the last five years.

Andrew Selous: This information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate costs.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been convicted for an offence relating to a use of a drone; and what the average sentence is for such an offence.

Dominic Raab: The number of offenders found guilty of offences relating to flying a drone, under S 160 of the Air Navigation Order 2009, in England and Wales, in 2014, is two. Each offender was sentenced to a fine. Please note that this figure relates to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. Incidents involving drones are rare, but we remain constantly vigilant to all new threats to prison security. This Government has made it a criminal offence to throw, or otherwise project, any article of substance into prison without authorisation. Anyone using drones in an attempt to get contraband into prisons can be punished with a sentence of up to two years. We take a zero tolerance approach to illicit material in prisons and work closely with the police and CPS to ensure those responsible for a drone incident are caught and, if appropriate, prosecuted.

Wills

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if his Department will bring forward proposals for a national register of wills similar to that used in Spain.

Dominic Raab: This Department has no plans to create a national register of wills for England and Wales. Wills may be deposited for safekeeping with the Probate Service, part of Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service, on payment of the appropriate fee (currently £20). Various private sector bodies, including many legal practitioners, also offer registration and safekeeping services.

Forced Marriage Protection Orders

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people (a) are protected and (b) have previously been protected but no longer are by a Forced Marriage Protection Order.

Caroline Dinenage: Statistics on Forced Marriage Protection Orders are published by the Ministry of Justice and are available as part of the Family Courts Statistics Quarterly series at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/family-court-statistics-quarterly. Under this series, the document “Family court tables” provides statistics on the number of applications and orders made in each quarter since 2009 (currently at Table 13). The latest statistics were published on 31 March 2016, providing data up to the end of December 2015. However, information on the number of people protected by an order is not held centrally.

Community Rehabilitation Companies

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, against the Boards of which community rehabilitation companies he has exercised his powers of written consent since 1 February 2015; and against what proposals such powers have been used.

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, against which community rehabilitation companies the Authority Step-in action provided for by section 27 of the Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRC) Amended and Restated Services Agreement has been used since 1 February 2015; and in response to which issues such an action has been taken.

Andrew Selous: Thanks to these reforms, offenders in prison for less than 12 months are now receiving support from the probation providers for the very first time. Since new owners began running Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) on 1 February 2015, the Secretary of State has not exercised his powers of written consent against any Boards of any CRC. The Secretary of State has also not used section 27 of the Amended and Restated Services Agreement against any CRC. We closely monitor and robustly manage providers to make sure they fulfil their contractual commitments to maintain service delivery, reduce reoffending, protect the public and provide value for money to the taxpayer.

Community Rehabilitation Companies: Staff

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many employees there were in each Community Rehabilitation Company on (a) 31 January and (b) 31 December 2015.

Andrew Selous: Thanks to these reforms, offenders in prison for less than 12 months are now receiving support from the probation providers for the very first time. When Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) were under public ownership (from 1 June 2014 to 31 January 2015), we published workforce information on a quarterly basis. The final iteration of these statistics was published on 31 December 2014 and can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/community-rehabilitation-companies-workforce-information-report-quarter-3-2014-to-2015 Our contracts with CRCs require each CRC to ensure that it employs a sufficient level of staff, and that its workforce is competent and adequately trained. We closely monitor and robustly manage providers to make sure they fulfil their contractual commitments to, reduce reoffending, protect the public and provide value for money to the taxpayer.

Community Rehabilitation Companies

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether community rehabilitation companies (CRCs) have current information sharing agreements in place with their local police forces; and which CRCs do not have such an agreement in place.

Andrew Selous: All Community Rehabilitation Companies have information sharing agreements in place with local police forces.

South Yorkshire Community Rehabilitation Company

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the outcome was of the National Offender Management Service Authority Audit of South Yorkshire Community Rehabilitation Company in September 2015 on that company's risk management.

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which community rehabilitation companies have been the subject of an authority audit by his Department since February 2015; and if he will publish such reports.

Andrew Selous: Major transitions are always challenging, but figures show the performance of Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) and National Probation Service, is continually improving. Thanks to these reforms, offenders in prison for less than 12 months are now receiving support from probation providers for the very first time. Operational assurance audits were completed by the Ministry of Justice on all Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) during the first year of operation. The reports of these audits are commercially sensitive and, as such, will not be released. It is normal Government practice not to release commercially sensitive information. We hold providers rigorously to account for their performance and take action wherever they are falling short. We are continuing to monitor the performance of CRCs closely. Following an audit by the Ministry of Justice last year, South Yorkshire CRC developed an action plan.

Homicide

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential benefits of proposals to deny parole or release to people incarcerated for charges of murder for as long as they refuse to disclose the whereabouts of their victim's remains.

Andrew Selous: I sympathise with the anguish caused to the families of victims where the offender wilfully refuses to disclose the whereabouts of their loved one. Such behaviour is already taken into account by the court when sentencing the offender, and by the independent Parole Board when assessing an offender’s continuing risk for the purposes of deciding whether he or she is eligible for possible release. The Parole Board has at my request, however, agreed to review its guidance on this particular issue as part of a review of all its guidance in 2016.

Justice Select Committee

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many times he has attended public meetings of the Justice Committee since his appointment.

Mike Penning: The Secretary of State for Justice attended public meetings of the Justice Select Committee on two occasions since his appointment. The dates on which he attended was 15 July 2015 and 16 March 2016.

Slavery

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether it is the Government's policy to provide legal aid to enable victims of modern slavery and trafficking to bring compensation claims against their traffickers.

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the (a) terms of reference, (b) timetable, (c) methodology, (d) consultees and (e) identity of the reviewer is for his Department's urgent review of legal aid for victims of modern slavery and trafficking who want to bring claims against their traffickers.

Mr Shailesh Vara: There is specific legal aid provision for victims of modern slavery and human trafficking for immigration advice and representation, and in relation to damages and employment claims arising from their treatment, subject to means and merits. The Ministry of Justice and Legal Aid Agency are carrying out a review of existing arrangements for providing legal aid for advice and assistance (known as Legal Help) in respect of Trafficking and Modern Slavery Compensation Claims (TMSCCs).The review will involve research into :(a) Potential numbers of individuals entitled and eligible to seek Legal Help in relation to TMSCC and their geographical location.(b) Ability, preparedness and willingness of legal aid providers to carry out this work, and any factors which may limit this.The review will be completed in due course.

Prisons: Staff

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make a reassessment of the evidence used by the Harris Review in forming its recommendation 20, on benchmarking of staffing levels in prisons.

Andrew Selous: The benchmark staffing level has been designed to be safe, decent and secure. Safe, decent and secure operating levels were agreed with the Governor in each prison as the basis for the application and implementation of the prison’s tailored benchmark report. As the benchmark is implemented, there is the facility for Governors to request an evidenced change in their benchmark level. The evidence that the Harris Review drew on related to a period prior to full implementation of the benchmarked staffing levels. Nationally, we appointed 2,250 new prison officers over the last year and this recruitment drive means we have 440 more full-time prison officers in our prisons than there were twelve months ago.

Prisoners: Mental Illness

Dr Tania Mathias: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to support prisoners with mental health problems.

Andrew Selous: Providing appropriate treatment at the right time is vital to improve outcomes for people with mental health problems. All new prisoners accepted by a prison are assessed on reception by a health care professional on arrival at the prison. Where appropriate, prisoners may be referred to a range of individual or group mental health interventions. In the most serious cases, prisoners may be transferred to secure hospital on the recommendation of two psychiatrists

Sexual Offences: Compensation

Iain Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to review access to compensation for victims of familial sexual abuse before 1979.

Mike Penning: The original Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme introduced in 1964 had a so called 'same roof rule' intended to prevent perpetrators benefiting from compensation paid to victims who lived with them. The rule was amended in 1979 to allow compensation for victims of incidents occurring after 1 October 1979 who no longer lived with their assailant. In line with usual practice, this rule change did not create retrospective entitlements. The Government has no plans to review the rule.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Telecommunications

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what work his Department has commissioned to identify the profile of customers with exchange-only lines on the telecom network that are incompatible with fibre to the cabinet broadband technology.

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what work his Department has commissioned to identify the distribution across the nations and regions of the UK of exchange-only lines on the telecom network that are incompatible with fibre to the cabinet broadband technology.

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what work his Department has commissioned to identify the number of exchange-only lines on the telecom network that are incompatible with fibre to the cabinet broadband technology.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The vast majority of phone lines across the UK connect to the nearest telephone exchange via a street cabinet, which can be upgraded to deliver fibre broadband. Estimates are not available of the number of premises served by exchange only lines which connect directly to the local exchange rather than via one of BT's street cabinets. There are a variety of reasons why exchange only lines are created. For example, for rural exchanges serving few premises where there was no need for cabinets, or for urban exchanges where it may have been a more cost-effective. Exchange only lines present a greater engineering challenge to deliver fibre broadband than those connected via street cabinets but technical solutions are available. One solution is to rearrange the existing network, lay new cables to reroute lines to new cabinets. This technique was developed as part of the BDUK Superfast Broadband Programme, and the number of exchange only lines is reducing all the time as roll out under the programme continues.

Digital Technology: Small Businesses

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will issue a response to the Federation of Small Businesses report, entitled Reassured, optimised, transformed: driving digital small business, published in September 2015.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Ed Vaizey, Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy, and Anna Soubry, the Small Firms Minister, participated in roundtable discussions on September 10th when the report was launched. We do not propose to formally respond to the FSB report.

Small Businesses: Cybercrime

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the level of take-up by (a) micro, (b) small and (c) medium-sized enterprises has been of the cyber essentials programme.

Mr Edward Vaizey: At the end of February 2016, 2,181 Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus certificates had been issued, of which ​it is estimated ​28% were awarded to micro, 28% to small, and 22% to medium-sized businesses​.

Irish Language

Anne McLaughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the UK's ratification of the European Charter for Minority or Regional Languages, what steps the Government is taking to facilitate and promote use of the Gaelic language in reserved agencies and policy areas.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Whilst there is currently no UK legislative requirement for Gaelic language broadcasting to be funded by the Exchequer, some of the UK Government’s commitments under Article 11 of the European Charter for Regional or Minority languages are fulfilled by BBC Alba’s content, in tandem with the Gaelic radio service provided by the BBC, Radio nan Gaidheal. MG ALBA is a public body, set up by UK legislation and funded predominantly by the Scottish Government. In addition, two one-off funding allocations of £1 million were provided for MG ABLA for the period 2014-16. MG ALBA's principal functions relate to the provision of Gaelic programmes. It works in partnership with the BBC to operate the channel, BBC ALBA. Scotland continues to enjoy the live stream from BBC ALBA and programmes are available on the BBC website via iPlayer for the rest of the UK.

Arts: Local Enterprise Partnerships

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much central government funding has been allocated to (a) the London Local Enterprise Partnership and (b) all Local Enterprise Partnerships to support the creative industries in each year since 2011-12.

Mr Edward Vaizey: All Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), including the London LEP, have access to funding through programmes such as Growth Deals. However, decisions on what to prioritise rightly rest with the LEPs themselves, ensuring a strong business voice to maximise local growth. In London, for example, the LEP is investing £5m in a Digital Skills Programme to ensure young Londoners have the skills they need to access jobs in the capital’s thriving tech sector.

Internet: Standards

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will estimate the cost to the economy of unreliable internet connectivity and speeds in 2014-15.

Mr Edward Vaizey: We are not aware of any existing research about the annual cost to the UK economy of unreliable broadband internet connectivity or speeds in 2014-15. However, the economic benefits of broadband access are clear, for example, SQW Consulting’s UK Broadband impact study in 2013 estimated that the availability and take-up of faster broadband speeds will add about £17 billion to the UK’s annual Gross Value Added (GVA) by 2024. In November, the Prime Minister announced the Government’s intention to implement a new broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) and our ambition is to set this at 10 Mbps. This new broadband USO will give people the legal right to request an affordable broadband connection from a designated provider, up to a reasonable cost threshold, no matter where they live. A consultation, which has now closed, was published on 23 March setting out the Government’s proposed approach to taking this work forward.

BBC: Royal Charters

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the number of full-time equivalent officials in his Department working on the BBC Charter Renewal consultation; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Edward Vaizey: In addition to 3 DCMS BBC policy team officials, 30 other DCMS officials, at an average of 8.1 full-time equivalent people per week, over a 12 week period, supported the process to review the consultation responses. 19 officials seconded from other government departments (7.7 full-time equivalent per week) and 20 agency staff (9.4 full-time equivalent per week) also supported the process.

Arts

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to page 8 of the Culture White Paper, published in March 2016, when his Department will require funded bodies in the arts and culture sectors to publish their strategies for increasing diversity.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Government believes that diversity is essential to the success of the cultural sectors. Arts Council England (ACE), as a funded body of the DCMS, published their Equality Action Plan in the summer of 2015. They also publish equality data annually. All National Portfolio Organisations and Major Partner Museums have submitted equality action plans to the Arts Council. In addition, ACE launched their Creative Case for Diversity that requires National Portfolio Organisations to evidence how they contribute to diversity. This information will be used to assign a performance rating. Management agreements for other funded bodies are being renegotiated presently and will take into account the Government's aspiration on diversity.

Nuisance Calls

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to prevent scam and nuisance calls exploiting unknowing consumers.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The Government takes all types of fraud, including those operating through telephones, extremely seriously.The Government is taking forward a range of measures to tackle nuisance calls, which will increase consumer protection and choice by strengthening the Information Commissioner's Office's (ICO) ability to take enforcement action against organisations that break the law.Specific actions include; lowering the threshold under the the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulation 2003 (PECR) to make it easier for the ICO to take action against organisations that break the law, resulting in £3,420,000 worth of fines issued; and we recently made an amendment to PECR, requiring direct marketing companies registered in the UK, to display Calling Line Identification.The Department is also working closely with Home Office who recently launched a new joint fraud taskforce to tackle the issue of scams. Further information about the taskforce is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/home-secretary-launches-new-joint-fraud-taskforce

Libraries: Digital Technology

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessments he has made of the role of libraries in reducing digital exclusion.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Libraries play a significant role in supporting digital engagement, by providing computers and WiFi to enable people to access the internet and digital services, as well as offering digital skills training and support.Thanks to Government funding, free WiFi is available in 99% of public libraries in England. DCMS and the Leadership for Libraries Taskforce are working with national partners to develop the role of libraries in improving digital engagement. From 1 October 2015 to 31 March 2016, The Tinder Foundation, in partnership with the Taskforce, carried out a Libraries Digital Inclusion Action Research Project. This supported 16 library authorities across England to pilot and assess new approaches to build digital engagement in socially excluded, hard to reach groups. The Foundation published interim findings in February 2016, and a final report is due in this summer that will help inform future digital engagement activity for libraries.

Broadband

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many (a) homes and (b) business premises in the UK do not have access to (i) fixed and (ii) any broadband internet service over (A) 2mps and (B) 10mps.

Mr Edward Vaizey: In December 2015, Ofcom reported that 100% of UK premises were able to access fix broadband services. The report can be found here: http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/research/infrastructure/2015/downloads/connected_nations2015.pdf The Government has now provided access to speeds of 2 Mbps or more to the whole of the UK. More detail can be found at: http://basicbroadbandchecker.culture.gov.uk/index.php. In addition, 90% of the UK now has access to superfast broadband (24Mbps or above) and we are on track to deliver 95% coverage by the end of 2017. According to ThinkBroadband less than 5% of the UK premises cannot currently access speed of 10Mbps (http://labs.thinkbroadband.com/local/). Furthermore, the Prime Minister has announced the Government’s intention to introduce a new broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) with the objective to provide a safety net for those homes and business in the hardest to reach parts of the UK without access to superfast broadband.

Digital Technology

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress his Department has made against its targets set out in the Government's Digital Inclusion Strategy of April 2014 on reducing the number of people who are digitally excluded.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The 2014 Digital Inclusion Strategy, created under the last Government, sets out a series of commitments and digital inclusion targets for government and the private and voluntary sectors. Since the Strategy was published, ONS data has indicated a reduction in the proportion of adults who have never used the internet, from 13% in 2014 to 11% in 2015. However there are still a significant proportion of the UK population that lack basic digital skills, which is why work must continue across all sectors to increase digital engagement and motivate people to get online and make the most of the internet.

Newspaper Press: Internet

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with the newspaper industry on ad-blocking and platform regulation.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The Secretary of State hold regular discussions with the newspaper industry on a wide range of issues. As he said in his speech to the Oxford Media Convention on 2 March 2016, he will shortly be hosting roundtable meetings with a wide range of relevant stakeholders, including newspaper industry representatives, to discuss ad-blocking and its impact.

Internet: Advertising

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate his Department has made of the loss caused to businesses by ad-blocking technology.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Government has not made any estimate of the impact of ad-blocking in terms of losses caused to businesses, however we are aware of the concerns from our sectors about the expansion of ad-blockers. As the Secretary of State outlined in his speech at the Oxford Media Convention on 2 March 2016, the newspaper, music, film and games industry are all having to adapt to a world in which, in almost every case, advertising revenue now plays an essential part in their new business models.

Internet

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with the European Commission on ad-blocking and platform regulation.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Over recent months DCMS Ministers have met with both Vice President Ansip and Commissioner Oettinger to discuss several issues, including potential platforms regulation. There have also been meetings with a number of MEPs and Member States. DCMS Ministers have not held any recent discussions with the European Commission on ad-blocking.

Department for Work and Pensions

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit: Dupuytren's Contracture

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria his Department is using to determine whether Dupuytren's Contracture should be included on the list of prescribed diseases covered by Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit.

Justin Tomlinson: The report of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (May 2014) included recommended criteria for including Dupuytren’s Contracture in the list of prescribed diseases. The Government is continuing to consider the recommended criteria and any other relevant factors.

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what average time has been taken for the Governemnt to determine whether an illness or disease should be included on the list of prescribed diseases covered by Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit following a recommendation by the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council.

Justin Tomlinson: The government does not record information on the average time taken to consider recommendations from the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the Government's planned increase in the number of presenting officers at employment and support allowance and personal independence payments tribunal hearings.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department is increasing the attendance of Presenting Officers at appeals to help ensure the right decision is reached. We’ve estimated that it will cost approximately £22m to increase the number of Presenting Officers at ESA and PIP Tribunal hearings. The vast majority of the £22m, which will be spent over three years, will be used for Presenting Officer salary costs, with a small proportion for Learning and Development, communications and start up project costs.

Housing Benefit: Expenditure

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to the public purse of housing benefit for (a) council, (b) social, (c) supported housing and (d) private sector tenants was in each of the last three years.

Justin Tomlinson: The information on council, social and private sector housing is already published and can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/514192/outturn-and-forecast-budget-2016.xlsx. The information on supported housing is not available. An initial estimate from the supported housing evidence review, commissioned by DWP and DCLG, suggests the figure may be around £4 billion. A final report will be published in the summer.

Independent Case Examiner for the Child Support Agency

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time is for the Independent Case Examiner to review accepted cases; and if he will make a statement.

Justin Tomlinson: During the 2015/16 financial year complaints examined by the Independent Case Examiner’s (ICE) Office took an average of 37 weeks to process from the point at which they were accepted. Improvements in complaint handling within DWP mean that the ICE Office receive far fewer cases which can be resolved, to the complainant’s satisfaction, without a full investigation of the evidence. This means that the ICE process is reserved for more complex cases which are, by nature, more time consuming.

Employment

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information his Department holds on the proportion of people who have been diagnosed with autism or Asperger's syndrome and who have been in employment in each of the last five years.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department does not hold information on the proportion of people who have been diagnosed with autism or Asperger's syndrome in each of the last five years who have been in employmentAs is described in the Government’s Autism Strategy, a number of government departments and agencies are working to update or improve a range of data on people with autism, in order to build up a better understanding of their challenges and needs.The Government’s Autism Strategy, and the updated Statutory Guidance published in March 2015, sets out in detail how Government will support the autism agenda nationally.The Autism Strategy can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/think-autism-an-update-to-the-government-adult-autism-strategyThe Statutory Guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adult-autism-strategy-statutory-guidance

Children: Maintenance

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Segment 2 non-compliant cases have been fully closed on the CSA 1993/2003 systems.

Priti Patel: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Funeral Payments

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has considered measures to expedite the current five to six week processing time for applications to the Department for Work and Pensions Funeral Fund; and what the target processing time is for applications to that Fund.

Justin Tomlinson: If all the necessary information is received with the Funeral Expenses Payments claim form the application is processed straight away. The department is committed to ensuring that communications on eligibility for Funeral Payments are improved. This will in turn help claims to be processed and decisions to be made more quickly.  For 2016/17 DWP aims to clear Funeral Expenses Payments claims within 15 working days. In 2014/15 of the 51,000 applications, over 55% were cleared within target; and over 69% cleared within 21 working days.

Social Fund

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employees there were in the Social Fund and Specialist Benefits Team on 1 April (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013, (e) 2014, (f) 2015 and (e) 2016.

Justin Tomlinson: Management Information is held only since 2013 and is provided here:  2013 - 20142014 - 20152015 - 2016Bereavement Benefit94.3383.8778.49Maternity Allowance70.2166.1972.46Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit191.97165.63149.40Social Fund798.46411.34349.78 Budgeting Loans and Crisis Loans were previously part of the Social Fund and staff that were previously doing this work have been re-assigned to other work.

Universal Credit

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of universal credit claimants who do not have basic digital skills; and whether his Department has plans to reduce the number of such claimants without those skills.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Jobcentres: Oldham

Jim McMahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to reduce staffing levels in the Jobcentre Plus facility in Oldham in the next five years.

Justin Tomlinson: DWP currently employs 87 people in the Jobcentre Plus office in Tweedale House Oldham (as of 31 March 2016). There are no specific plans to reduce staffing levels in the Oldham Jobcentre Plus office.

Personal Independence Payment

Tom Pursglove: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many personal independence payment assessment appointments were cancelled by Capita in (a) Corby, (b) East Northamptonshire and (c) the UK in the last year; and for what reasons such appointments were cancelled.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Ministry of Defence

Army Reserve: Deployment

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the number and location of overseas deployments of Army Reserve personnel were in the last 12 months; and what assessment he has made of potential increases in the number of such deployments in the next 12 months.

Mr Julian Brazier: The number and location of Army Reserve deployments in the last 12 months are shown in the following table: LocationPersonnel NumberAfghanistan65Algeria~Bahrain~Cyprus175Egypt~Ethiopia~Falkland Islands10Iraq35Italy~Jordan~Kenya5Kuwait~Latvia15Malawi~Nigeria15Oman~Senegal10Sudan~Sierra Leone15Somalia~Tunisia~Ukraine~Uganda~ Rounding is necessary, as a means of disclosure control and the preservation of anonymity; it also improves the clarity of output and conveys an appropriate level of precision to users.‘~’ is less than five. It is expected that reserve mobilisation is likely to double during 2016. Formed Reserve bodies will be deploying on some 23 overseas exercises this year; the majority of these will be at Company level. 4 PARA will also deploy for one rotation of the Falkland Islands Reinforcement Company in June-July 2016, while the intent is for 4 LANCS to be the Cyprus lead in October 2016.

Trident Submarines

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department's capital programme prepared for Budget 2016 included revised estimates for the Trident Successor project.

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent estimate he has made of the capital costs of (a) replacing the Vanguard fleet with four new Successor submarines and (b) other foreseeable elements within the Trident renewal project up to the late 2030's.

Mr Philip Dunne: As stated in the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, our latest estimate is that manufacturing the four Successor submarines is likely to cost a total of £31 billion, including inflation over the lifetime of the programme. We will also set a contingency of £10 billion. The MOD budget for the Spending Review period published in Budget 2016 included this latest estimate for the relevant period.

Military Intelligence: Russian Language

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Russian language (a) speakers, (b) interpreters and (c) translators are employed in the intelligence department of his Department; and what steps he is taking to increase the number of such experts in that Department.

Mark Lancaster: The Ministry of Defence's (MOD) Russian language needs for intelligence, or for any other purposes, are met from the Departmental pool of approximately 180 Armed Forces and civilian personnel with Russian language skills (and from contractors when needed). The Department reviews its future operational and other requirements for linguists regularly and trains its personnel accordingly.

Yemen: Military Intervention

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what representations he has made to the government of Saudi Arabia on the designation of the Yemeni cities Sa'da and Marran as military targets by the Saudi Arabian-led coalition on 8 May 2015.

Penny Mordaunt: The Government takes all allegations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) violations very seriously and we have emphasised the importance of full compliance with IHL to the Saudi Government and other members of the military coalition on several occasions. We have provided training and advice to the coalition to support continued compliance with IHL and minimise civilian casualties.

Yemen: Military Intervention

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 13 July 2016 to Question 6002, when the liaison personnel in Saudi coalition headquarters were first deployed; how many liaison personnel worked in those headquarters between March 2015 and January 2016; what rules of engagement or memorandum of understanding governs the role of those personnel; and whether any of those personnel have a role in the commission of inquiry announced by the Saudi coalition on 31 January 2016.

Michael Fallon: The Liaison Officers were first deployed in May 2015. We do not discuss specific numbers for operational reasons. As Liaison Officers they are not expected to be in a situation where they would require Rules of Engagement nor provide advice to the Saudi investigatory committee.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Floods: European Union Solidarity Fund

Tom Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent progress has been made on the Government's application to the EU Solidarity Fund to help flood affected areas.

Tom Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to make available to the Northern Ireland Executive funds received from the Government's application to the EU Solidarity Fund to help flood affected areas.

Tom Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions he had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the Government's recent application to the EU Solidarity Fund to help flood affected areas.

James Wharton: The Government submitted an initial UK application to the EU Solidarity Fund on Friday 26 February and we continue to refine our cost estimations.At the date the application was made, the Government had not been approached on this matter by the Northern Ireland Executive.

Floods: European Union Solidarity Fund

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which areas of the UK are covered by his Department's application for assistance from the EU Solidarity Fund to help communities affected by recent floods.

James Wharton: Holding answer received on 21 March 2016



The Government submitted an initial UK application to the EU Solidarity Fund on Friday 26 February. The application included an estimate of eligible costs from Scotland, Wales, Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, North Yorkshire and the City of York, West Yorkshire, and Northumberland.Having made this initial application, we are in the process of refining our cost estimations and figures, and will work with the Commission to finalise details.

Floods: European Union Solidarity Fund

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, on what date an application was submitted for assistance from the EU Solidarity Fund to help communities affected by recent floods.

James Wharton: Holding answer received on 21 March 2016



The Government submitted an initial UK application to the EU Solidarity Fund on Friday 26 February. The application included an estimate of eligible costs from Scotland, Wales, Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, North Yorkshire and the City of York, West Yorkshire, and Northumberland.Having made this initial application, we are in the process of refining our cost estimations and figures, and will work with the Commission to finalise details.

Floods: European Union Solidarity Fund

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much funding his Department has applied for from the EU Solidarity Fund to help communities affected by recent floods.

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what engagement his Department has conducted with EU officials on the application for assistance from the EU Solidarity Fund to help communities affected by recent floods since making that application.

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the total cost of damage caused by floods in winter 2015-16.

James Wharton: Holding answer received on 22 March 2016



The Government submitted an initial EU Solidarity Fund application on Friday 26 February. We are in the process of refining our cost estimates and figures.The United Kingdom’s Permanent Representation to the European Union submitted the initial application to the European Commission on the UK Government’s behalf and will continue to engage with them and the Department on the development of the application.

Sleeping Rough: Supported Housing

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential benefits of supported housing in helping people to make the transition from rough sleeping back to independent living.

Mr Marcus Jones: One person without a home is one too many and we are committed to do all we can to prevent homelessness. We announced at Budget an additional £100 million to deliver low cost ‘move on’ accommodation to enable people leaving hostels and refuges to make a sustainable recovery from a homelessness crisis, providing at least 2,000 places for vulnerable people to enable independent living.The supported housing sector provides valuable support to some of our country’s most vulnerable people. It helps many people to lead independent lives or turn their lives around and is an investment which brings savings to other parts of the public sector – such as health and social care.

Public Houses: Music

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to apply the agent of change principle to pubs which play live music.

Brandon Lewis: Elements of the agent of change principle already exist within planning policies and guidance. The planning guidance supporting the Framework is clear that the potential effect of a new residential development being located close to an existing business giving rise to noise should be carefully considered. The guidance underlines planning’s contribution to avoiding future complaints and risks to local business like live music venues from resulting enforcement action. To help avoid such situations, local councils are encouraged to consider appropriate mitigation including designing the new development to reduce the impact of noise from the local environment and optimising the sound insulation provided by the building envelope.

Housing

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment the Government has made of the current level of housing provisions; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the most vulnerable have access to suitable housing.

Brandon Lewis: There was an estimated 23.4 million dwellings in England as of 31 March 2014, an increase of 137,000 dwellings on the previous year. This includes 4 million social and affordable rented dwellings (Private Registered Providers plus local authority tenures) (1).We are doubling the housing budget to deliver one million more homes, including spending £8 billion to build 400,000 new affordable housing starts by 2021, the biggest new affordable homes programme since the 1970s, and committing £2.3 billion towards delivering 200,000 new Starter Homes.(1) Source: DCLG Dwelling Stock Estimate, 2014, England https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/423249/Dwelling_Stock_Estimates_2014_England.pdf

Supported Housing

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of the time taken to conduct its Supported Accommodation Review on the number of beds available in the supported accommodation sector.

Brandon Lewis: We understand the importance of ensuring that those people living in supported accommodation, who are generally the most vulnerable members of our society, receive appropriate protections.The supported housing sector provides valuable support to some of our country’s most vulnerable people.We have commissioned an evidence review of the supported housing sector which we expect to report shortly. Building on this review, we will continue to work with and listen to providers as part of developing a long-term sustainable funding regime.In the meantime we have put in place a one-year exception for all supported accommodation from the social rent reduction measures and the Local Housing Allowance cap, so there will be no material change in this financial year.

Local Enterprise Partnerships

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the quality of local assurance frameworks prepared by local enterprise partnerships.

James Wharton: We have put robust assurance systems in place, with the right balance of central and local accountability. Section 151 officers from the accountable local authorities for each of the 39 Local Enterprise Partnerships have written to the Department confirming that their assurance frameworks adhere to our national standards. We have regular discussions with LEPs on their progress with local growth programmes, and an annual performance review with each LEP.

Mayors: Greater Manchester

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much his Department provided in start-up costs for the Greater Manchester City Region Mayor.

Mr Mark Francois: We are not providing funding for start-up costs for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority mayor, with any such costs being met by the Combined Authority from the resources available to it.

Local Government: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the proportion of local government procurements that have been spent on small and medium-sized businesses in each of the last five years.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidelines he has issued to local authorities to require them to record the proportion of their procurement spent on small and medium-sized businesses.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the amount of local government procurement that has been spent on small and medium-sized businesses in each of the last five years.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Government is committed to ensuring there is a simple and consistent approach to procurement across the public sector so that small businesses can gain better and more access to public sector contracts – either directly or as sub-contractors.The Government produced guidance as part of the reforms included in the Public Contract Regulations 2015 which aim to make public contracts more accessible to businesses and in particular to small and medium enterprises. The reforms included the abolition of pre-qualification questionnaire for low value tenders; simplification of the pre-qualification questionnaire for high value tenders; advertising all local authority contracts of £25,000 or over (or the authority’s standing order limit if higher) on Contracts Finder; and paying down the supplier chain in 30 days.The Local Government Transparency Code 2015 requires all local authorities to publish details of contracts exceeding £5,000 including information on whether or not the supplier is a small or medium sized enterprise and/or a voluntary or community sector organisation.However, the Department has made no assessment of the amount or proportion of local government procurement spend going to small and medium sized businesses.

Combined Authorities: Devolution

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether there are any circumstances under which a devolution deal with a combined authority will be undertaken without an elected mayor being proposed.

James Wharton: The Government is open to discussing any devolution proposals that include strong, accountable governance arrangements. But we have been clear—the most ambitious, far-reaching powers and responsibilities will be offered only to those areas that provide a directly-elected, single point of accountability.

Mayors: North West

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many public consultations his Department has conducted on the subject of mayors in Cheshire and Warrington since 2010.

James Wharton: Devolution deals, including commitments for mayoral governance, are negotiated and agreed with those democratically elected to represent their area, and who are accountable to their local electorate.This Department has not undertaken direct public consultations on this matter in Cheshire and Warrington.

Mayors: North West

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations he has received in favour of elected mayors in Cheshire and Warrington.

James Wharton: Cheshire and Warrington were one of 38 areas across the country to submit devolution deal proposals in September 2015. Devolution deal proposals are developed and led by local areas. Therefore, the decision to release information regarding the content of any submission—including governance objectives—is a matter for the local area to decide, not the Government.

Wales Office

Commonwealth Games: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government about the possibility of Wales hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Alun Cairns: The Wales Office continues to show its support for Wales to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games. I recently met with the Commonwealth Games Council for Wales and would welcome an opportunity to explore the details of a possible bid further with the new Welsh Government after the National Assembly Elections have taken place.

HM Treasury

Child Benefit: EU Countries

Andrew Bridgen: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the number of child benefit claims made for children living in each other EU member state in each of the last 10 years; and what the estimated cost to the public was of such claims.

Mrs Anne-Marie Trevelyan: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2016 to Question 27522, on child benefit: immigrants, and with reference to the Answer of 22 October 2012, Official Report, columns 619-20, on child benefit: EU nationals, and the Answer of 6 September 2010, Official Report, columns 189-90, on benefits: British nationals abroad, how many child benefit awards there were for children living in each non-UK country in each year since 2012.

Damian Hinds: Around 7m people are receiving Child Benefit. To extract and collate the value of all payments made to EU migrants for children living outside the UK in the format requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Information relating to the number of Child Benefit claims paid to families with children living overseas is available in the Government publication , “The best of both worlds: the United Kingdom's special status in a reformed European Union”. This publication is available on Gov.uk https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-best-of-both-worlds-the-united-kingdoms-special-status-in-a-reformed-european-union The Government’s new settlement between the UK and the EU means that EU nationals whose children live abroad will ultimately receive Child Benefit at a rate that reflects the conditions – including the standard of living and child benefit paid – of the country where their child lives. This will restore fairness to the system.

Individual Savings Accounts

Julian Knight: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what investments his Department plans to be (a) permitted and (b) excluded under a lifetime ISA.

Harriett Baldwin: The new Lifetime ISA will provide savers with the flexibility to save towards a first home and retirement at the same time. From April 2017, people aged 18 to 40 will be able to save up to £4,000 each year into a Lifetime ISA and receive a 25% bonus from the Government. The Government is engaging with the industry on the detail of implementation and regulation of the Lifetime ISA. Further details will be announced when the Government brings forward legislation to enact the Lifetime ISA in the autumn.

Revenue and Customs

Caroline Lucas: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on how many occasions in the last five years HM Revenue and Customs officials have raised concerns internally that UK taxpayers who are customers of the (a) High Net Worth Unit and (b) Large Business Unit have received preferential or inappropriate tax treatment as a result of their position.

Mr David Gauke: HMRC has a Whistleblowing and Raising a Concern Policy. Since April 2014 concerns raised under this policy have been captured centrally but the data has been captured at a high level and does not have sufficient detail to enable HMRC to reliably identify concerns relating to customers of the High Net Worth Unit and Large Business Unit over the last 5 years. HMRC does not offer preferential treatment to any tax payer or group. HMRC is even handed in its treatment of all customers, and manages different customers by allocating its resources to those groups which need more support or present higher risks of not meeting their tax obligations.

UK Membership of EU: Referendums

Michael Fabricant: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the (a) cost of labour and (b) other expenses incurred by his Department was in producing its analysis of costs if the UK were to leave the EU; and how many man hours were required to produce that analysis.

Mr David Gauke: The British people are asking for the facts before they decide whether to vote Remain or Leave in the EU referendum. The Treasury’s analysis shows that if the UK leaves the EU, the UK would be permanently poorer and it estimates an annual loss of 6.2% of GDP after 15 years, which is equivalent to £4,300 per UK household.The Treasury is appropriately resourced to support the Government’s priorities in Europe. However, it is not practical to identify full-time equivalent staff numbers.

Revenue and Customs: Bircham Dyson Bell

Caroline Lucas: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on how many occasions between 2006 and 2011 HM Revenue and Customs officials (a) met and (b) communicated with Peter Twiddy, a consultant who worked at Bircham Dyson Bell.

Mr David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs officials meet with and receive representations from a wide variety of organisations as part of the policy formulation and delivery process. As has been the practice of successive administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to give details of any such discussion.

Revenue and Customs

Margaret Hodge: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, who the tax assurance commissioner is in HM Revenue and Customs.

Mr David Gauke: Edward Troup remains the Tax Assurance Commissioner for HM Revenue and Customs.

Employee Ownership

Richard Fuller: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HM Revenue and Customs plans to withdraw the valuation check services for the validation of valuation estimates of works of art and antiques as part of the withdrawal of the valuation check service for employee share ownership schemes.

Richard Fuller: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what meetings or consultations his Department had with companies and industry groups offering and promoting employee share ownership schemes before announcing the withdrawal of HM Revenue and Customs' valuation check service in February 2016.

Richard Fuller: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will commission independent research on the potential effect on employee share ownership scheme take-up of planned withdrawal of the HM Revenue and Customs' valuation check service on 31 March 2016.

Mr David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has been consulting representative bodies through the Valuation Fiscal Forum over the last 18 months. HMRC has not withdrawn valuation services that are most relevant to employee share ownership schemes but has withdrawn valuation checks for income tax and PAYE as in most cases acceptable valuations were submitted and therefore, on a cost-benefit analysis, continuation of the service could no longer be justified. As HMRC has not withdrawn valuation services that are most relevant to employee share ownership schemes it is not intended to commission independent research on the potential effect of those valuation services being withdrawn. HMRC does not plan to withdraw the valuation check service for Chattels. Procedures remain unchanged from those outlined at the Chattels Valuation Fiscal Forum 2010 and, most recently, 2014.

Environment Protection: Taxation

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to page 34 of his Department's paper, Budget 2016: Policy Costings, published in March 2016, what the source is of the £425 million  increase in revenue estimated for 2019-20 from abolishing the Carbon Reduction Commitment and offsetting increase to the Climate Change Levy.

Damian Hinds: The £425 million in revenue estimated for 2019-20 is the combined costing for measures in the Budget relating to the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) energy efficiency scheme and Climate Change Levy (CCL), as certified by the Office for Budget Responsibility. The figure results from the different accounting methods approved by the Office for National Statistics for revenues from CRC and CCL:Revenue from the CRC accrues when allowances are surrendered, rather than the year in which the energy was used.CCL revenues accrue in the year in which the energy was used. However, businesses will only pay an increase in CCL for energy they use once the CRC has been abolished.

Soft Drinks: Taxation

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 1.95 of the Budget 2016, whether his Department plans to maintain the same level of funding for sports activities, breakfast clubs in schools and extending the school day in circumstances where receipts from the Soft Drinks Industry Levy decline as the tax base for that levy reduces.

Greg Hands: The soft drinks industry levy is part of the government’s strategy to tackle childhood obesity. It is aimed at encouraging producers to reformulate their product mix and move consumers towards lower sugar alternatives. The levy is expected to raise £520 million in the first year; the OBR expect that this number will fall over time as producers reformulate and consumption of high sugary drinks decreases. Our spending plans for these policies are as set out in the budget document. This announced that, in England, revenue from the soft drinks industry levy over the scorecard period will be used to:Double the primary school PE and sport premium from £160 million per year to £320 million per year from September 2017.Provide up to £285 million a year to give 25% of secondary schools increased opportunity to extend their school day.Provide £10 million funding a year to expand breakfast clubs from September 2017. It also confirmed that the Barnett formula will be applied to spending on these new initiatives in the normal way.

Infrastructure

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 1.97 of the Budget 2016, what progress his Department is making on proposals for using the UK Guarantees Scheme for infrastructure in the circumstances referred to.

Greg Hands: The UK Guarantee Scheme regularly meets with sponsors and companies across all infrastructure sectors to discuss potential proposals for Guarantees. These meetings are of a confidential nature. The government is willing to consider commercially and financially credible proposals for the use of the UK Guarantee Scheme for infrastructure projects associated with the recovery of oil and gas.

Soft Drinks: Taxation

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the amount which the soft drinks industry levy will raise for public expenditure in Scotland.

Damian Hinds: The soft drinks industry levy is part of the government’s strategy to tackle childhood obesity. It is aimed at encouraging producers to reformulate their product mix and move consumers towards lower sugar alternatives. The levy is expected to raise £520 million in the first year across the UK; the OBR expect that this number will fall over time as producers reformulate their product mix and consumption of high sugar drinks decreases. In England, the revenue will be used to double the primary school PE and sport premium; provide funding to give 25% of secondary schools increased opportunity to extend their school day to offer a wider range of activities for pupils; and fund the expansion of breakfast clubs in up to 1,600 schools. As stated at Budget 2016, the Barnett Formula will continue to be applied to spending on these new initiatives in the normal way.

Government: Assets

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the total receipts from Government asset sales were in each financial year from 1986 to 2009.

Greg Hands: Reporting on asset sales is made on a financial year basis in departmental accounts. Details of any specific historic asset sales can be found in announcements made at the time of sale.

Department for Energy and Climate Change

Housing: Insulation

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps she is taking to ensure that people in receipt of Government administered free cavity wall insulation schemes do not suffer damp in their houses after insulation.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent representations she has received on the potential link between cavity wall insulation and dampness in houses.

Andrea Leadsom: Under the Energy Company Obligation, which is the primary government support for measures of this type, the insulation of a cavity wall must be accompanied by an appropriate guarantee, approved by Ofgem. Amongst other criteria, the guarantee must include an assurance framework for the quality of the installation and the product used in the installation. As the administrator of ECO, Ofgem assess the suitability of this framework.Alongside this, the Department for Communities and Local Government has begun research into dampness in buildings caused by both internal moisture and wind-driven rain and related to insulation. This project is due for completion later this year. We are also aware of the recent publication of BBA Technical report No. 3, Full fill cavity wall insulation in areas of very severe exposure to wind driven rain.The results of both projects, together with any other relevant information, will be considered as part of any review of the regulations and associated statutory guidance. DECC and DCLG have also commissioned Dr Peter Bonfield to conduct a wider independent review of consumer advice, quality and standards and consumer protection for energy efficiency and renewable installations. The findings of this review will cover installations of Cavity Wall insulations. This report will be published in due course.

Cabinet Office

Government Departments: Sustainable Development

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 15 April 2016 to Question 32701, if his Department will publish findings of its review into the consistency of Government plans and policies with the Global Goals.

Mr Oliver Letwin: The Government intends to produce a report in due course that will set out how the UK is contributing to the Global Goals.

Electoral Register: Students

Grahame Morris: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department plans to work with universities, colleges and further education providers to integrate electoral registration into academic enrolment before (a) the May 2016 elections and EU referendum and (b) the 2016-17 academic year.

John Penrose: The Cabinet Office has previously supported Sheffield and Cardiff Universities in piloting such initatives. The Government is also working with student organistions such as Universities UK, and Association of Colleges to support the drive to ensure as many eligible people as possible are registered to vote.Though for the most part, academic enrolment will not commence until September Higher education institutions, including Universities, are free to choose to integrate registration with their student enrolment processes. We strongly encourage them to do so.

UK Membership of EU: Referendums

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many officials in his Department are working on research relating to the EU Referendum; and what estimate he has made of the total (a) number of man-hours and (b) cost of that work up to 23 June 2016.

John Penrose: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Harwich and North Essex on 13 January 2016 to UIN: 21072.

Cabinet Office: Syria

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many desk officers within the Joint Intelligence Organisation's Assessments Staff work on Syria-related issues; and how many such desk officers had specialist knowledge or experience related to Syria prior to their appointment.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Syria-related desk posts within the Joint Intelligence Organisation's Assessments Staff were (a) vacated and (b) filled during 2015.

Mr Oliver Letwin: Holding answer received on 25 April 2016



The Joint Intelligence Organisation (JIO) supports the National Security Council and provides advice on national security and foreign policy to the Prime Minister and other senior ministers. Staff in the JIO are drawn from the Cabinet Office and across Government including the MOD, FCO, and Armed Forces. They are employed on a range of terms and conditions including formal and informal, short and long term secondments. They also regularly call on augmentees and expertise from across Government to work on particular projects or issues. Given this flexible approach to resourcing we do not hold the data requested.

National Security Secretariat

Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which directorates of the National Security Secretariat have experienced greater than average turnover in staff since May 2010.

Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many National Security Secretariat staff have served continuously in that Secretariat since May 2010.

Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of staff in the National Security Secretariat are seconded from (a) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, (b) the Ministry of Defence, (c) the Armed Forces and (d) outside Government.

Mr Oliver Letwin: The National Security Secretariat (NSS) supports the National Security Council and provides advice on national security and foreign policy to the Prime Minister and other senior ministers. Staff in the NSS are drawn from the Cabinet Office and across Government including the MOD, FCO, and Armed Forces. They are employed on a range of terms and conditions including formal and informal, short and long term secondments. They also regularly call on augmentees and expertise from across Government to work on particular projects or issues. Since 2010 the organisation has also undergone a number of organisational changes. Given the organisational changes and the flexible approach to resourcing we do not hold the data in the format requested.

Manufactured Goods: Exports

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of goods manufactured in the UK were exported in each of the last five years.

Mr Rob Wilson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Letter to Member - Goods Manufactured in UK
(PDF Document, 63.46 KB)

Electoral Register

David Mackintosh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the feasibility of introducing a centralised, national electoral register.

John Penrose: Electoral registers are compiled and maintained locally by Electoral Registration Officers primarily for the purposes of running Parliamentary and local elections in their area. A centralised, national electoral register would not necessarily help them do this, and would potentially create concerns about how government handles citizens personal data, so we have made no assessment of this kind.

Immigrants: EEA Nationals

William Wragg: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many nationals of other EEA member states migrated to the UK with dependants of school age in each of the last 10 years; and how many school-aged dependants of other EEA member states have lived in the UK in each of the last 10 years.

Mr Rob Wilson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Letter to Member - EEA Member State Migration
(PDF Document, 62.83 KB)

Lobbying

Margaret Hodge: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether an equality impact assessment has been undertaken in respect of the policy of including an anti-lobbying clause in government grant agreements.

Matthew Hancock: Departments are currently working with grant recipients on the implementation of the guidance, in relation to the new grants clause. This will include a consideration of equality impact issues, which will be reported centrally to the Cabinet Office for assessment, with regards to finalising the central policy by 1 May 2016.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Air Pollution: EU Law

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what amount her Department expects to pay in penalties and disallowances required by the EU Commission in relation to air pollution in 2016-17; and what contingency has been made for that purpose in her Department's budget.

Rory Stewart: The Department does not expect to pay any penalties and disallowances imposed by the EU Commission in relation to air pollution in 2016-2017. The Commission has started infraction proceedings against the UK for not achieving European limit values for NO2. We want to work in partnership with Local Authorities and the Commission to improve air quality and avoid any prospect of fines levied from infraction. In December 2015, the Government published air quality plans setting out a comprehensive approach for meeting EU legal limits in the shortest possible time through a new programme of Clean Air Zones, alongside national action and continued investment in clean technologies. The UK has never had to pay an infraction fine.

Climate Change: Publicity

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has for public communications on the need to prepare for the effects of climate change.

Rory Stewart: The effects of climate change continue to be taken into account within policy making across Defra and all levels of Government and within the broad range of related communications activities. Targeted communications closely tied to specific climate threats help those affected to understand potential impacts and the practical actions that they can take to increase their resilience and adapt. For instance, the Environment Agency have been ‘geo-targeting’ people in specific high flood risk locations via Facebook and other services to promote the benefits of and sign up to the free flood warning service. Government will be publishing the second UK Climate Change Risk Assessment in 2017 to be followed by the second National Adaptation Programme report and will, as part of that process, consider the need for further public communications on the effects of climate change in the UK.

Food: Schools

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to encourage schools to procure their food from local producers and suppliers.

George Eustice: The Plan for Public Procurement of Food was launched by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with the support of the Prime Minister in July 2014. The Plan seeks to improve the quality of the food served in public establishments through the use of a procurement toolkit which includes a balanced scorecard to assess the value of food and catering contracts. The balanced scorecard rewards businesses which offer high quality, locally sourced and seasonal produce. Defra has worked closely with the Department for Education sponsored School Food Plan and has commissioned pilots of the balanced scorecard approach with schools taking part in the London Food Board Flagship Food Boroughs initiative. These pilots will build on the very firm foundation laid by the School Food Plan.

Environment Protection: Plastics

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of banning micro beads.

George Eustice: Microbeads from personal care products are believed to make up a very small percentage of the total amount of microplastics entering the marine environment, with estimates ranging from 0.01% to 4.1%. A ban in the UK would therefore be expected to have only a small impact on the effects on the environment attributed to microplastics. However, microbeads, like other microplastics, do not biodegrade and so accumulate in the marine environment. There are also less harmful alternatives that are suitable to use. Defra supports voluntary action by industry to phase out microbeads from personal care products, and is supporting other EU Member States in calling for the European Commission to come up with proposals to ban their use in cosmetics and detergents.

Food: Procurement

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress has been made in implementing the British Food Plan across all Government departments; and if she will make a statement.

George Eustice: The Government is committed to providing food produced to British standards or their equivalent in all its canteens, restaurants and cafeterias by the end of this Parliament. Defra is working closely with other Departments and businesses to implement the Plan for Public Procurement of Food, including a balanced scorecard. The Ministry of Justice recently launched a tender for supplying food to prisons, worth £500 million, which requires bids to use the balanced scorecard. Their current supplier has agreed that the 30 million portions of UHT milk served in prisons each year will be sourced from UK producers. We are working with MoD to develop the best way to embed the balanced scorecard into their forthcoming contracts. We are working with all central Departments to ensure their food and catering contracts comply with the balanced scorecard approach.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect on farmers of late payments under the Basic Payment Scheme by the Rural Payments Agency.

George Eustice: We understand the importance of the Basic Payment Scheme payments to farmers. As of 21 April the Rural Payments Agency had completed the processing of 77,840 claims for 2015. Although the payment window runs from 1 December 2015 to the 30 June 2016, the Agency has announced that those customers who won’t receive a claim payment in April 2016 will be provided a bridging payment. Bridging payments will be made by the end of April.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what proportion of herds had bovine TB breakdowns in 2015 which had also had such breakdowns in the previous three years in (a) high risk, (b) edge and (b) low risk areas.

George Eustice: The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) maintains and manages this information on behalf of Defra and is responsible for its publication in the annual England TB surveillance reports. The data for 2015 is not yet available. The most recent data available is for 2014 and published in the England TB surveillance report for 2014[1]: High Risk Area: 3078 herds had a breakdown of which 1798 (58%) had a breakdown in the previous 3 years.Edge: 332 herds had a breakdown of which 85 (26%) had a breakdown in the previous 3 years.Low Risk Area: 107 herds had a breakdown of which 15 (14%) had a breakdown in the previous three years. [1] Bovine tuberculosis: Infection status in cattle in England

Department of Health

General Practitioners: Females

Alex Chalk: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of the cost of medical indemnity insurance premiums on the number of female GPs returning to work after maternity leave.

Alistair Burt: The Department and NHS England recognise that increasing medical indemnity costs are a significant issue for general practitioners (GPs), including for particular groups of the workforce, such as those GPs who may work part time. The Department and NHS England will bring forward proposals for reviewing indemnity arrangements in primary care in the summer for discussion with the profession, medical defence organisations, the commercial industry and the NHS Litigation Authority. To address rising indemnity costs, NHS England has already negotiated changes to the products offered by Medical Defence Organisations to bring down costs of indemnity for extended access and from December 2015 to March 2016 ran a winter indemnity scheme to offset the additional indemnity premium for GPs who wish to work additional sessions for their out-of-hours providers.

Disability Aids

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many days patients in (a) England, (b) Morecambe Bay and (c) Blackpool spent in hospital waiting for equipment or support aids to be made available to them to allow their discharge in the last year for which figures are available.

Alistair Burt: In the last 12 months there has been 45,380 delayed days in England due to patients waiting for community equipment and adaptions, with 618 in Lancashire (Morecambe Bay) and 97 in Blackpool.

Fertility

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department has issued to clinical commissioning groups on the provision and availability of fertility treatments.

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the availability of fertility treatments under each clinical commissioning group in England.

Jane Ellison: The level of provision of infertility treatment, as for all health services they commission, is decided by local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and will take into account the needs of the population overall. The CCG’s decisions are underpinned by clinical insight and knowledge of local healthcare needs. As such, provision of services will vary in response to local needs.NHS England expects that all those involved in commissioning infertility treatment services to be fully aware of the importance of having regard to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) fertility guidelines. CCGs have a legal duty to have regard to NICE guidelines.Following a meeting with Fertility Fairness in December 2015, officials from the Department and NHS England are considering options for addressing variation in the prices that CCGs are currently paying for in vitro fertilisation treatment.

Hospitals: Transport

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what reports he has received on the NHS investigation into the performance of the non-urgent transport service provided by Coperforma in Sussex; who will conduct that investigation; what the terms of reference and expected duration of that investigation are; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: NHS England advises that the High Weald Lewes Havens Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), on behalf of all seven Sussex CCGs, has begun an enquiry on 18 April 2016 into the non-emergency Patient Transport Service (PTS) in Sussex. We are informed that the CCG has engaged TIAA, an independent company and a provider of assurance services to the public sector, to carry out the enquiry. This is an independent investigation into the transition and mobilisation of the PTS contract from the South East Coast Ambulance Service to Coperforma and is supported by the CCGs in Sussex, Coperforma and the South East Coast Ambulance Service. We are advised the CCG has asked for a draft final report to be available for review by June 2016 with interim progress reports. We are advised the following terms of reference have been agreed by South East Coast Ambulance Service, High Weald Lewes Havens CCG and Coperforma:― consideration of the transition arrangements set out in such as contract specification and tender submission;― the extent to which compliance with agreed handover arrangements can be evidenced;― a root cause analysis of a sample of incomplete bookings;― establishing the causes of poor service delivery on commencement of the new contract and whether these could have been reasonably anticipated prior to the contract commencement date;― the appropriateness and timeliness of the actions taken by the CCG; and― any lesson learned which could be incorporated into other future major contracts let by the CCG.

Dentistry: Contracts

Paula Sherriff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether a timetable has been agreed for the review of the General Dental Practitioners contract.

Alistair Burt: The current dental contract reform prototypes are testing a new way of providing preventative care, including the right balance of payment incentives. Subject to evaluation of the prototypes, a reformed dental contract could begin to be rolled out nationally from 2018/19 onwards.

Dental Health: Children

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to improve dental standards amongst primary school age children.

Alistair Burt: We are committed to improving the oral health of school children. Public Health England (PHE) has produced a toolkit to support local authorities in their responsibility to improve dental health and reduce inequalities among children and young people in their area. It supports local authorities to invest in programmes which have demonstrated improvement in children’s dental health, for example targeted community-based fluoride varnish programmes, targeted tooth brushing programmes and water fluoridation. PHE has also this year published a toolkit to support the consideration of water fluoridation as a measure to reduce levels of tooth decay.Sugar consumption is the primary cause of tooth decay in children. The Sugar Swaps campaign was launched in January 2015, helping families reduce their sugar consumption through making simple swaps to their diets. In addition PHE has developed guidance for dental teams on preventing dental disease in young children. Advice on prevention of dental disease has also been published by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence.

Doctors: Training

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to increase capacity in UK medical schools to enable an increase in the number of UK-trained doctors entering the NHS.

Ben Gummer: The Government makes a significant investment in educating and training doctors. Health Education England (HEE) has oversight in determining overall medical school place numbers as the Department only funds places for the numbers of doctors needed to work in the National Health Service in the future. The Government’s Mandate to HEE for 2015/16, required them to “take a strategic role in relation to those healthcare professions where number controls are, or may in the future be, determined nationally, including medicine, dentistry and pharmacy. HEE’s objective is to take a leading role in working with partners in higher education to keep medical, dental training and other healthcare numbers under review.” HEE is undertaking a review of medical undergraduate numbers which will be published in due course. Where number controls are determined nationally, HEE will need to agree any changes with the Department of Health in discussion with other relevant Government departments, such as the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. HEE’s Commissioning and Investment Plan for 2016/17 forecasts an increase in the available supply of doctors to the NHS workforce by 2020 of 14.6% above 2015 figures. This includes doctors in general practice.

General Practitioners: Working Hours

Alex Chalk: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what support his Department provides to GPs to assist with the cost of insuring work undertaken outside of normal working hours.

Alistair Burt: The Department and NHS England are committed to addressing the issue of increasing medical indemnity costs for general practitioners (GPs), including those working out of hours. The Department and NHS England will bring forward proposals for reviewing indemnity arrangements in primary care in the summer for discussion with the profession, medical defence organisations, the commercial industry and the NHS Litigation Authority. To address rising indemnity costs, NHS England has already negotiated changes to the products offered by Medical Defence Organisations to bring down costs of indemnity for extended access and from December 2015 to March 2016 ran a winter indemnity scheme to offset the additional indemnity premium for GPs who wish to work additional sessions for their out-of-hours providers.

General Practitioners: Finance

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average level of funding for GPs in (a) Southampton City Clinical Commissioning Group, (b) comparator clinical commissioning groups and (c) England was in each of the last 3 years.

Alistair Burt: Data from the Health and Social Care Information Centre show that the funding for general practitioners (GPs) in Southampton City Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) was £31,892,320 in 2013/14 and £33,578,245 in 2014/15.The comparator CCGs fall into the area of Wessex. The average level of funding for GPs in comparator CCGs was £40,243,811 in 2013/14 and £43,300,640 in 2014/15.The average level of funding for GPs in England was £36,169,099 in 2013/14 and £37,868,835 in 2014/15.Data is not available for earlier years.

Carers

Mr Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the scope is of the current consultation on the Government National Carers Strategy.

Alistair Burt: The Government recognises the valuable contribution made by carers, many of whom spend a significant proportion of their life providing support to family members, friends and neighbours and they must receive support. This is why the Department is leading on a new cross-Government National Carers Strategy to look at what more we can do to support existing and future carers. On 18 March the Department launched the National Carers Strategy call for evidence for carers and those who support them. This is focussed on improving knowledge of local practice and hearing from carers about the kind of support that helps them. The consultation will end on 30 June 2016. We intend to publish the new strategy towards the end of 2016 but want to ensure that it is based on an academically robust examination of evidence and draws on a wide range of views and ideas. As the strategy develops, we will consider evidence around the economic impact of caring and what role it plays within the health and care sectors and wider society. We will also look at both international and national best practice to see what support works best for carers so that they can find a healthy balance between providing high quality care and support and maintaining their own life and wellbeing.

Junior Doctors

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many junior doctors work in the NHS.

Ben Gummer: The latest monthly workforce statistics (December 2015), published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre show the total number of doctors in training in the National Health Service in England is 52,424 (headcount) 50,977 (full time equivalent).

General Practitioners: Immigrants

William Wragg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect on demand for GP surgery places of immigration (a) in general and (b) from nationals of other EEA countries in each of the last 10 years.

Alistair Burt: Since 2013, it is been the responsibility of NHS England to determine the provision of National Health Service primary medical services. NHS England does not collect registration information in relation to immigration, nationality or European Economic Area status.

Mental Health

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to address the effect of loneliness on health.

Alistair Burt: The Government has prioritised prevention through the Care Act 2014. The Department has funded Social Care Institute for Excellence to develop and run the Prevention Library which includes examples of emerging practice to prevent, reduce or delay deterioration in people’s care and support needs. This includes examples of innovative projects to tackle loneliness. The Department has also supported a ‘digital toolkit’ for local commissioners, which was developed by the Campaign to End Loneliness and is incorporated in its guidance for commissioners. The guidance can be found at:http://campaigntoendloneliness.org/toolkit/As part of Public Health England’s programme of work to support local action on health inequalities, it commissioned the University College London’s Institute of Health Equity to produce a series of resources setting out practical approaches that local areas could adopt to reduce health inequalities. One resource in the series focuses on social isolation across the lifecourse. It provides information and guidance to support local authorities, National Health Service clinical commissioning groups and their stakeholders to develop effective strategies to prevent and reduce social isolation.

Cancer: Asprin

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with clinical bodies on research into the use of aspirin to reduce incidents of cancer.

Jane Ellison: Ministers have had no such discussions.Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes A Strategy for England 2015-2020 includes a recommendation that NHS England should commission the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to develop updated guidelines for the use of drugs for the prevention of breast and colorectal cancers including the use of aspirin for individuals with hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer. Once these guidelines are published, clinical commissioning groups should ensure that general practitioners implement them. A National Cancer Transformation Board will oversee the implementation of the strategy, and an implementation plan will be published shortly.The Strategy also noted that Cancer Research UK and the National Institute for Health Research will continue to monitor outcomes from trials under way in the United Kingdom and internationally regarding the role of aspirin in cancer prevention more generally. They will make evidence available to NHS England and NICE as results become clear.

NHS 111: Negligence

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many clinical negligence claims were issued against NHS111 providers in each month since that service was launched.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many formal complaints were made against NHS111 providers in each month since that service was launched.

Jane Ellison: This information is not held centrally.

Health Services: Immigrants

William Wragg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has undertaken or commissioned research on the effect on NHS services of immigration (a) in general and (b) from nationals of other EEA countries.

George Freeman: The Department has not undertaken or commissioned specific research on the overall impact of immigration on the National Health Service.

Children: Death

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children have died in (a) NHS and (b) private inpatient mental health units in each year since 2010.

Alistair Burt: Every death is a tragedy and none more so than that of a child or young person. Any death of a young person with mental health problems in an inpatient service is fully investigated and learned from.Although there are systems in place for reporting and reviewing deaths, they are not unified. The Department is urgently looking into this so that an accurate figure can be provided and are in the process of developing more robust arrangements for the future. I will make a written Ministerial statement to the House on this matter following my remarks in the House on 12 April 2016.

Children: Death

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what requirements there are to hold an independent investigation into the unexpected death of a child (a) in a prison, (b) in an NHS-funded inpatient unit and (c) in the community on day release from an NHS-funded inpatient unit.

Jane Ellison: Any death of a young person in an inpatient service is fully investigated and learned from.The systems in place for reporting and reviewing deaths were developed at different times and fulfil different functions. These include:- Serious Incident Review for each serious untoward incident;- Child Deaths Overview Panels which are carried out at local level into every child death and reported to the Department for Education;- Coroners can write to the Secretary of State (or anyone else they feel have lessons to learn) to draw his attention to specific issues of concern after the death of a child; and- The Care Quality Commission requires providers to report the death of any detained patient (though few children and young people are detained under the Mental Health Act).Prison policy is a matter for the Ministry of Justice.

Health Services: Children

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children who are NHS (a) mental health and (b) learning disability inpatients are in the care of private providers commissioned by the NHS.

Alistair Burt: On 22 April 2016, there were 668 children and young people who were receiving inpatient care which had been commissioned by the National Health Service from independent sector providers.It is not possible to make a clear distinction between the numbers with a diagnosis of a mental health condition and those who have a learning disability as it will depend on the primary diagnosis linked to the admission and some patients will have a dual diagnosis.

Learning Disability: Mortality Rates

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made on the University of Bristol study of the mortality rates of people with learning disabilities in NHS care, commissioned by NHS England and announced by that body in June 2015.

Alistair Burt: The University of Bristol has appointed the programme team who will oversee the mortality review programme and has consulted with interested parties on the methodologies and approaches to be used. A pilot review programme is underway in the North East and Cumbria which will be used to inform how the programme operates as it is rolled out. A plan is now in place to roll out the review across all regions of England between now and 2018, with pilots starting in other parts of the country during 2016/17. Additional resources have been made available to support regions in this work.

Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what communication his Department has had with Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust since the warning notice issued to that trust by the Care Quality Commission on 6 April 2016.

Alistair Burt: There has been one piece of incoming correspondence from the Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust to the Department on 11 April 2016, which has not yet received a reply.

Women and Equalities

Business: Equality

Jim Shannon: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Government is taking to encourage big businesses to promote gender equality and provide models for small and medium-sized enterprises to follow.

Caroline Dinenage: The Government is committed to full gender equality in the workplace, and we are introducing mandatory gender pay gap reporting for larger employers from April 2017.We will support all employers to do this with a £500,000 package including: UK wide conference events, free online software and targeted support for male-dominated sectors. Employers of any size can join the voluntary “Think, Act, Report” initiative which has around 300 members leading the way on gender equality.The Women’s Business Council has an SME representative to ensure good practice is promulgated throughout the wider business community, including a toolkit for businesses to support older women in the workplace.

Business: Equality

Jim Shannon: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent discussions has the Government had with businesses on reducing discrimination and promoting equal opportunities.

Caroline Dinenage: The Government is committed to ensuring equal opportunities, so that everyone can reach their full potential and is working with business to achieve this. The Government has done so in a number of ways, including: The Hampton and Alexander review of women on boards and the chair of the Women’s Business Council, Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith will lead a review of issues faced by businesses in developing black and minority ethnic (BAME) talent, and access to the labour market. The Women’s Business Council, established in 2012, has produced a range of products to encourage older women to enter and stay on in the workplace. The Women’s Business Council has also been active in working with the finance sector to address some of the barriers facing some BAME women entrepreneurs. The Government has worked closely with employers to develop a range of measures that will help promote gender equality in workplaces and will require all companies with at least 250 employees to report their gender pay gaps. It is expected that employers will publish the required information from April 2017.This builds upon actions already undertaken by the Government including a series of equality roadshows with the British Chambers of Commerce. These roadshows highlighted the benefits and challenges of diverse workforces for business whilst helping the Government shape guidance for business on older workers, women and disabled people in the workplace to tackle discrimination.

Women's Business Council

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether the Government has incorporated any research recommendations from the Women's Business Council into government policy or legislative proposals.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she has taken to support the work of the Women's Business Council.

Caroline Dinenage: The Women’s Business Council was established in 2012 to advise the Government on how to support women and maximise their contribution to economic growth. The Ministers for Women and Equalities regularly meet with the Council and its Chair to set strategic direction and support the development of business to business toolkits.Most recently, we have supported Council members such as Barclays in launching their ‘Come Back’ toolkit for businesses to encourage and support women to return to the workplace after a career break. We have also worked with the Council member from Deloitte in producing the ‘Trailblazers’ transparency report, to share business best practice on tackling the gender pay gap. We have also engaged with Deloitte in their April 2016 report highlighting best practice to support and encourage female entrepreneurs.The Government has taken into account the Women’s Business Council’s reports and recommendations when developing policy options and programmes. In particular their evidence papers and analysis has informed our policies on closing the gender pay gap, increasing the numbers of women into senior positions and encouraging women and girls to take up STEM qualifications. This builds upon work already done by the Government in line with the Council’s recommendations such as the right to request flexible working and shared parental leave and supporting the National Careers Service in launching the ‘Your Daughter’s Future’ toolkit to raise parental awareness regarding career opportunities for girls and women.